Kingdom Hearts: The Lock and The Key
by acklesauce
Summary: Sora, Riku, and Kairi receive a letter from King Mickey. The trio are now off to Disney Castle, being escorted by three...keyblade apprentices? Old and new enemies await them on this new adventure. BEING REWRITTEN!
1. A Birthday Party?

**A/N: Hello, readers! This is my first Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. I've been playing with this idea since last year, and I've finally summoned the courage to post it! I really hope you all enjoy it and leave positive feedback. Constructive criticism is welcomed, although it will sting my pride just a bit ;). Flames are definitely not welcome, so don't even think about it. :)The pairing in this is SoraxKairi, and maybe RikuxOC. I'm not sure yet. Also, if there are any grammatical errors, please tell me! I spell checked it and proof read it at least 10 times, so _please_ tell me if I missed something. If anyone has suggestions or ideas, feel free to tell me! I'm open to stuff. Obviously, since this is the first chapter and just an introduction of sorts, you'll have to wait until later for suggestions and ideas. You know, once characters are introduced and the plot is moving along. Since this is an introduction thing, it's kind of short and boring, but just wait until chapter 2! That's where things pick up a little. Well, now that my huge author's note is finished...Sit back, relax, and read. :) _And don't forget to review! (Even if it's a "good job" or "update soon" type thing. Reviews make me a happy panda :))_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did...well, I wouldn't be writing this. Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. Not me. :(**

***

It was cold and damp. The morning breeze was cooler than normal. The palm tree's leaves swayed back and forth in a strange waltz. Footsteps came from the opposite end of the street. The keyblade master made his way down the street with his hands in his pockets and a silly grin plastered on his tanned face, reminiscing.

_"U-uh...Kairi, I have something to tell you..." Sora mumbled as he and Kairi walked down the beach. The sun was setting. The sky was painted an orange-ish pink color. The waves from the ocean licked at the two teenagers feet as they continued their walk along the beach._

_"Hm? What is it, Sora?" Kairi turned her attention from the setting sun to Sora. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his face towards the ground. Kairi tilted her head to get a better view of his face._

_Sora stopped walking. Kairi turned around and saw that he was blushing a bright red. "Well...You see, for a long time now...uhm, I always...uh...I love you."_

_He turned his gaze towards the now dark sky as the heat raised to his cheeks. He felt her eyes on him and it only made him look farther away and get that much hotter._

_Sora felt the soft, smooth hands of Kairi on his cheeks. He slowly returned his blue eyes to her to see her staring directly at him. Her face brightened and she smiled the biggest smile her face could physically allow. A single tear made it's way down her cheek as she spoke, "Sora, I love you, too."_

So, though the weather was worse than normal; Sora's love life was soaring above average. Riku seemed pleased, even if he did insist that he'd known they were in love all along. "Then why didn't you tell me....?!" Sora chuckled to himself as he rethought his agitation with his friend.

The brown, spikey haired boy finally reached the house of his love and knocked on the door twice. Another smile graced his lips as he thought of the first time he knocked on that door. It was the first day Kairi arrived to the Island. He and Riku went over to see the girl who was the gossip of Destiny Islands. A drop of water fell on his forehead, bringing him back from his memories and making him look up to the grey sky. Rain began to fall in drizzles.

"Oh, Sora! Come on in, Kairi will be right down," Kairi's mother answered the door.

"Hey, Mrs. Uchida," Sora stepped into the house and smiled at Mrs. Uchida.

Mrs. Uchida smiled warmly at Sora and went to the carpeted stairs.

Walking into the cozy living room, he felt warm and comfortable. "Kairi! Sora's here!" Kairi's mother called. Sora took a seat on the couch across from the fireplace. After a second, she came over and sat down.

"So, Sora, how have you been?" she started. Sora grinned at the older woman, placing his hands behind his head, before responding.

"Just great. Everything's been going smoothly." _No heartless or nobodies around to ruin my perfect mood, _Sora grinned at his thought.

"That's good," Mrs. Uchida said. Suddenly, the thumping of footsteps on the stairs caught their attention.

"Hey, Sora," Kairi greeted, descending the last few steps. Sora stood up, smiled at her, and walked over to wrap his arms around her. She giggled and gladly returned the hug.

"Let's get going, Riku must be waiting," Kairi untangled herself from Sora and waved a quick good-bye to her mother before tugging Sora's hand.

"Bye Mrs. Uchida!" Kairi pulled Sora into the rain.

***

"So Kairi, what's up?" Sora paddled the little row boat. _This used to be so much bigger..._ he thought to himself, smiling at no one in particular at the memories. The rain was still falling in drizzles. The couple had their hoods up to shield themselves from the slight downpour.

"Nothing really. I'm just glad you and Riku are home, though I wish Riku picked a better day to go to the island," Kairi pouted, receiving an amused chuckle from Sora.

"Yeah, I don't know why he couldn't wait. I mean, it's not like we're leaving anytime soon, right?" Sora winked at Kairi, though she didn't seem to find the humor in the situation.

"I hope not. And even if you do, this time I'll be going with you!" Kairi stubbornly crossed her arms, shaking the boat in the process.

Sora hurried to stop the boat from tipping, not wanting to get soaked at the moment. "I was just kidding Kairi. We aren't going anywhere, promise," Sora smiled.

Kairi smiled softly, uncrossing her arms. She nodded her head before noticing the absence of rain. Putting her hands out in front of her, feeling for any rain, and tilting her head skywards, Kairi grinned before pointing enthusiastically.

"Look, a rainbow!"

Sora stopped his rowing and followed Kairi's gaze. A spectrum of colors stretched across the clear blue sky, signaling the departure of the cold, wet rain.

"Hey! Sora, stop your gawking and start your rowing!"

Kairi and Sora whipped their heads around towards the sound of the oh so familiar voice. _Riku. _Sora scowled before playfully shouting back, "Yeah, yeah. Be right there, Mr. Impatient!"

Kairi giggled as the island began getting closer and closer.

***

By the time the couple had reached the docks, which didn't take that long, the sky was an orangey pink color, dotted with golden clouds floating aimlessly in the great mass. The ocean glittered beautifully, reflecting the oranges and pinks from the sky. A cool breeze swept over the island, shaking the palm tree leaves gently.

Kairi had opted to sit at the dock and admire the scenery when Sora had asked if she wanted to come with him. Sora nodded and began in a sprint towards Riku.

Riku was already on the separate islet, connected only by an old bridge he and Sora had made themselves, when they had arrived. He sat comfortably on the oddly twisted paopu tree with one arm resting on his bent leg, while the other supported his weight on the rough bark of the tree.

Sora reached the islet in no time and hopped over the paopu tree. He leaned against it in his signature pose, simply enjoying the company his best friend offered him.

A moment of silence passed between the two keyblade masters as they just watched the passing clouds in the slowly darkening sky.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku broke the comfortable silence.

"Nope. Nothing will," Sora replied.

Riku cocked his head slightly to the side, still gazing at the serene ocean, "What a small world."

"But part of one that's much bigger."

"Yeah."

Sora tilted his head upwards, towards Riku, before asking his question, "Hey Riku…what do you think it was- the door to the light?"

Riku hopped off of the paopu tree, chuckling slightly, to face Sora. Sora stood straight, curiously awaiting Riku's answer.

Riku stretched out his arm, poking Sora's chest. "This."

Sora looked down and placed his hand over his heart, "This?"

Riku smiled, "Yeah. It's always closer than you think."

Sora, finally understanding, grinned.

"Sora! Riku!" Sora twisted his head around towards the new voice.

Kairi waved her hand, grasping a bottle in the other, as she ran towards them.

When she reached them, she bent over, panting.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora had his hands ready in case she collapsed from the over exertion.

Kairi took another breath before holding out a glass bottle with a wrapped up letter inside. A closer looked revealed three black circles, each connected to the other. The King's seal.

"From the King?" Sora grabbed the bottle out of Kairi's slender fingers, making no pause as he pulled the cork out and slid the parchment from it's glass prison.

Unraveling the paper, Sora hastily read through it. Riku inched closer to read over Sora's shoulder, as did Kairi.

Kairi's face twisted into an expression of concern, worried that Sora and Riku would once again leave her. Riku smirked ever-so-slightly as his eyes scanned the paper.

"Well, what does it say?" Kairi asked nervously. Sora's face was hidden underneath his spiky bangs. Riku held back a laugh at the nervous expression on Kairi's face.

Sora lifted his head, smiling at his love. "We're going to a birthday party!"

_Hey fellas, _

_While we were out battling Maleficent and Organization XIII, it seems that I missed my birthday. Minnie won't let it go, so she decided that we should throw a party. It's nothing too fancy. All the other Gummis are being used to pick up the other guests, so I got a friend of mine to lend a helping hand. He'll be sending his three apprentices with their own Gummi ship. They should be there soon. See you all shortly!_

_***_


	2. Our First Mission

**Author's Note: Hello!! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, I went to Anime Boston and had no time. Sorry! But thank you to my one reviewer! And Mickey's age will be mentioned later on. So, this is where things pick up a bit and peoples are introduced. This is also where I'd like your opinions and suggestions!! So please, REVIEW. Just tell me what you thought. Thank you! Enjoy. Oh, and if there are any spelling mistakes, TELL ME. Please and thank you. :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. :( I do, however, own Artemis, Venus and Theron! So no touchy them.**

* * *

***

"Master! You called for us?"

Three teenagers, all around the age of 16, were lined up side by side. The two girls of the trio were on either side of a tall, young man.

The three stood before a cloaked man. He was seated high up in the atrium they were in. Long curtains covered the wall behind him. A grand chandelier hung in the center of the room, emitting a soft glow and a calm mood.

"Yes, Artemis, I did. It seems the time for a mission has come," the man addressed the white haired youth, his loud voice bouncing off the walls of the large room.

Artemis suppressed a shout of joy, instead opting for elbowing the young man next to her. The man scowled and grasped his arm. Can't blame her for being so excited… he thought.

"Theron, this is our first mission! Can you believe it?" Artemis whispered, elbowing the young man, Theron, on every other word.

"Yes, I can. Will you please stop?" Theron hissed, inching out of the hyper white haired girl's reach.

"Artemis, calm yourself."

One word from the man above caused the girl in question to snap back to attention, serious as ever. "Yes, sir," she said, raising her voice in order for him to hear.

"Now, my apprentices, this mission is of the simplest. All you have to do is escort a man and his friends to another world, for you see, they have no transportation. This is a request from a good friend of mine, whom I am indebted to," the cloaked man spoke swiftly, wasting no time for questions or concerns.

Artemis's face dropped. She had trained for years, waiting for her master to finally let her and her companions on a mission of epic proportions. And now, this was her mission. To escort some people to another world. How boring! I wanted to fight. The white haired girl pouted slightly.

"The only reason all three of you are needed is because the people you shall be escorting are of great importance, and shall not be harmed. I trust you three are capable of doing this, yes?"

All three nodded.

"Good. Well then, you will be leaving for their home world in the evening," the cloaked man paused for a second. He brought his hand up to his mouth, coughing violently.

The blond youth cringed, Artemis frowned and Theron looked down.

"Er, sir, if I may be so bold, who are we escorting and where are we taking them to?" Artemis meekly asked. Theron shot a look at her that clearly said 'Impatient brat'.

Their master had stopped his violent coughing and chuckled throatily, "Impatient as always, I see. Well, I was getting to that. You see, this is why I think you'll be more open to this mission Artemis. You should always have an open mind though…"

Artemis was about to tap her foot with annoyance, not wanting to hear the old man's lecture, but stopped as she caught Theron's glare. She sighed.

"Sir?"

The man was cut off mid-way in his rant of why Artemis should have an open mind towards things when a quiet, timid voice rang throughout the atrium. Artemis and Theron tilted their heads towards the girl at the end of their short line.

"Oh. What is it, Venus?" the man huffed, staring down the blond, agitated.

"Ah, well… you were ranting again, sir. I'm sorry for interrupting you," Venus fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"I was just about to finish up. Anyway, like I was saying. You three shall be escorting the Keyblade Master and his two friends to Disney Castle."

Artemis nearly fell over in sheer excitement. Of course she didn't, though. If she did, her master would have definitely removed her from the mission for being an immature child. But who could deny the truth? Artemis was indeed an immature child at times.

"Now go, pack whatever you might need. You'll be staying with the Keyblade Master until his business is finished at the castle," the old man waved his hand to dismiss his three apprentices below him, stood up, and retreated into the shadows.

A second past before Artemis could hold it in no longer.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! This is it! Finally!"

The white haired girl jumped up and down, pumped her fist into the air, spun in wild circles, all the while shouting "yes".

Theron, who was slowly leaving the crazy girl to pack his things, bumped into Venus.

"Ah, sorry, Vee," Theron ruffled Venus's hair and sprinted from the atrium before Artemis had a chance to notice.

"Artemis, shouldn't we pack our things?" Venus smoothed down her hair and approached the hyper girl currently dancing.

Artemis stopped mid-spin, one arm outstretched in the air, one leg pointing horizontally. "Huh. You're right. Let's go!" Artemis grabbed Venus's arm and tugged her along, out into the sunny afternoon.

***

The Gummi Hanger was bustling with movement. Orders were being shouted across the underground room with curt responses in their wake. Engineers were running back and forth with equipment and supplies.

The three apprentices entered, only to be pushed aside by the busy engineers.

"Hey, watch it," Theron sneered, adjusting his small knapsack on his shoulder. Artemis sighed.

"Chill out. The Gummi hasn't been used in years! They're just getting things ready for us," Artemis pushed passed Theron and approached the huge Gummi currently being worked on.

Venus followed closely behind her. She always stuck close to Artemis. Artemis poked one of the engineers in the shoulder before asking permission to board the ship. The man nodded and showed her up the ramp. Venus trotted behind them, like a puppy following it's mother.

"Wow, this is huge! Look, there's a kitchen, and food!" Artemis grinned as she opened the tiny cupboards, inspecting the food.

"Arty…all you ever think about is food…" Venus giggled. She tugged on Artemis's hair gently, getting her attention.

"Yeah, Vee? Ah, damn! There's no chips…" Artemis pouted and shut the cupboard. Venus sighed and tugged on her hair again.

"Where'd Theron go?" Venus asked. Artemis merely shrugged, not concerned about the rude boy. She turned back to the cupboards and continued her search. Venus frowned and decided to look for him herself.

She quietly left the kitchen, avoiding the busy engineers. "Theron?" she called out in the small ship. Maybe he's in one of our rooms?

Venus silently searched the Gummi ship and didn't find Theron. The blond sighed hopelessly. I wanted to talk to him…

"Yo, Vee!"

Venus's head snapped up to see the source of the loud voice. "Theron! I've been looking for you…" Venus blushed and shuffled her feet.

Before Theron could even open his mouth, Artemis jumped at him. Thankfully, or maybe not, he caught her.

"Theroooon! Come on, we're taking off now," Artemis yelled in the pink haired boy's ear.

Theron growled and dropped the white ball of energy to the ground. "You didn't have to yell, idiot."

Artemis rubbed her sore behind and pouted. "Just come on you two. We're leaving." Artemis got up, still rubbing her butt, and went to the control room of the Gummi.

"She's so weird sometimes," Venus chuckled and followed the white haired youth, tugging Theron along by his hand. Theron scowled.

"She can be so annoying all the time."


	3. Apprentice Meets Master

**Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing peoples!! Here's my responses to your reviews.**

**finalflash1992**: Thank you for reviewing! And the guy's hair is pink cuz..it's cool? I don't know xD I just thought it would be different.

**kingdommad**: ..Is it that obvious? The pairings I mean. Hah. And I'll definitely try to review your story sometime! I'm just so busy now-a-days.

**Ok. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter! Updates will be kinda slow after this one, because I don't have any more written and I really need to concentrate on school. So, I'm sorry in advance for that. Expect the next one within two weeks, three tops. And remember, REVIEW PLEASE!! **

* * *

"Wait, what button do I press?"

"**WARNING. WARNING."**

"Artemis, what did you do!?"

"Me?! It's the ship!"

"You're the one who pressed the button! The big red button that says DO NOT PRESS!"

"Calm down you two!"

"AH! Why is that thing attacking us!? Venus, tell it to stop!"

"It isn't attacking us! You ran into it, idiot!"

"Shut up Theron! I know how to pilot a Gummi ship!"

"No you don't, let me!"

"**WARNING. WARNING. APPROACHING DESTINATION AT HIGH SPEED. APPROXIMATE COLLISION TIME: 10 SECONDS."**

"…"

"…"

"Ah, nuts."

***

"So, the letter said that they'd be here soon, right?" Kairi asked. Our trio of heroes were currently waiting on their island. Each had their belongings packed up and ready to go. They had returned to the main island, explained the situation to their parents, (with some difficulty, of course) and retrieved their belongings. Their parents were obviously concerned, but trusted the three teenagers to return safely. It was just a birthday party anyway, not another mission to save the worlds.

"Yup. All we have to do now is wait," Sora grinned and wrapped his arm around the Princess of Heart. Kairi smiled softly and leaned her head on the Keyblade Master's shoulder.

Riku grimaced slightly at the gushy display of affection and returned his gaze to the setting sun. He was truly happy that his two best friends finally realized their feelings for each other, and he expressed that to the two of them. That didn't mean, though, they should act all mushy and lovey in front of him. A man could only take so much before he'd start puking fluffy bunny rabbits.

Riku sighed quietly before something shiny caught his eye. Something in the sky seemed to glitter, on and off. The silver haired boy's eyes narrowed, trying to pinpoint where and what the strange glitter was.

"Riku, something wrong?" Kairi questioned, curiously watching Riku squint at the setting sky. Sora was also watching bemusedly.

"There's…something in the sky. It's heading towards us…" Riku's eyes widened, as did Sora and Kairi's, as the glittering object revealed itself to be none other than a Gummi ship, hurtling towards them with no intention of stopping.

"Watch out!" Riku fell to the sand, covering his head. Sora shielded Kairi and pushed her to the ground. Kairi screamed and tightened her grip on Sora as the Gummi passed over head, splitting the palms trees in half and their already falling apart shack as it crashed into the sand.

A cloud of dust enclosed the scene like a thick blanket. The trio of heroes' coughs could be heard as they stood up, blindly trying to find their way off the separate islet.

"Sora, Kairi, you guys okay?" Riku called out, waving his hand in front of him in an attempt to clear the sand cloud.

"Y-yeah, we're alright," Sora called back, supporting a coughing Kairi. Riku came over to the two, inspecting them for any damage. As Sora had said, they were fine, just covered in dust.

"Come on, let's go see the idiots who crashed into our island," Riku said, glaring over at the faint outline of the Gummi ship.

"Yeah. Come on, Kai," Sora gently grabbed the red head's hand. Before heading over to the smoking Gummi, they all grabbed their belongings.

The bridge connecting to the islet to the island had been destroyed, so the three waded through the chilly ocean water.

***

"Ugh…"

Artemis rubbed her aching cranium, adjusted her wrap around skirt and straightened herself. _Looks like the Gummi is in good shape…now, where's Theron and Venus?_

A cough caught her attention and her head whipped around. Venus was panting and clutching her seat for dear life. The sweat on her forehead made her short bangs cling to it. "Venus! You okay?" Artemis carefully walked over, avoiding wires and other fallen equipment.

"Y-yes. Just freaked out is all. You look okay. What about Theron?" Venus released her death grip on the chair and clumsily undid her seat belt. Artemis shrugged and helped the blond up, fixing her blue dress as she did so. "Thanks," Venus smiled. A muffling noise cause the two to jump in surprise.

"I'm over here, genius."

Artemis gasped as a hand grabbed her leg. She looked down, only to be greeted with Theron's aggravated face, half covered by wires.

"Ah, Theron. I knew I'd find you." Venus and Artemis both smiled, pushing aside the wires that trapped him. The pink haired boy huffed, pushing himself up and muttering a "thanks".

"Now, let's go outside and greet the Keyblade Master!" Artemis grinned, gleefully skipping out of the ship. Venus sighed, following her out. Theron rolled his eyes, dusted off his black shirt and followed the two girls.

***

"Well, the Gummi looks like it wasn't damaged…" Kairi stated as the three got closer. Sora nodded in agreement. The crunching of sand caused him to stop abruptly. Kairi bumped into him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, peeking over his shoulder.

Riku glanced at Sora. "Someone's there," Sora whispered.

"Theron, don't push--ah!"

A tiny, white haired girl was sent flying out of the Gummi. She sprawled out in the sand, spitting the grainy substance from her mouth. Kairi covered her mouth, holding back her giggles.

A man stepped out of the Gummi, narrowly avoiding the girl on the sand. Next came out another girl clad in a tight blue dress, who kneeled down and helped the white haired one up.

"You're such a bully, Theron!" the white haired one growled and dusted off her clothes. The blonde sighed, crossing her arms.

"Whatever, Artemis. Oh, look, the Keyblade Master," Theron casually pointed over in Sora's general direction, smirking devilishly. _She's totally going to jump him, _Theron though.

"Uh…hi," Sora weakly waved, smiling nervously. Kairi stepped out from behind Sora. She smiled kindly and waved at the three newcomers. Riku didn't wave or smile, just examined them curiously with his hands in his pockets.

"T-the Keyblade Master!?" Artemis gasped. _Control yourself Arty…control…screw control!_

The white ball of energy ran towards Sora, jumped and latched on. Sora stumbled backwards, yelped in surprise, and fell onto the sand. Kairi gasped, debating over whether to find this funny or disturbing. Riku quirked an eyebrow, interestingly watching the unexpected scene unfold.

"You're so amazing! You saved the worlds, _twice_! You're my hero! One day, I'm going to be a master too, just like you!" Artemis rushed through her words as she hugged Sora, nearly squeezing the life out of him.

Sora was utterly flustered, flattered, and above all, confused. Just who exactly was this crazy chick?

He chuckled nervously, "Um, thanks, I think…." Sora gently pried her off of him and glanced at Kairi. A smile was pulling at her lips, but her eyes were practically screaming, "Get. Off. Of. Him."

Artemis noticed the glance, and followed his eyes. Once she saw the slightly pissed off look on the red head's face, she grinned excitedly. "And you're Kairi! The Princess of Heart!" Artemis leaped off the ground and jumped at her next target. Kairi.

"W-wha--!?" Kairi, even more confused and now flustered, stumbled backwards into Riku. Riku steadied her, and was just about to pull her out of the way when Theron blocked Artemis.

Artemis fell mid-jump and plopped on her butt. A pout set itself on her lips. "I don't want to hug you, you big, pink bully!"

Theron's mouth twitched and his eyes darkened. "What did you call me?"

Venus decided this was a good time to intervene. "Theron, calm down. Artemis, please get up, you're embarrassing yourself."

Theron sighed and retreated back to Venus's side. Artemis blushed and quickly stood up, apologizing. "I-I'm sorry. I just…lost self-control I guess. I'm really sorry," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before bowing.

Sora hastily got to his feet and laughed uneasily. "It's ok…Artemis? You don't have to bow…"

Kairi slowly walked over to Sora's side and grabbed his hand. "Yeah, it's ok. You just…startled us," she said, smiling softly. Riku, who was mulling over whether or not to trust these strange people, sauntered over to his friends' side.

"We should get going, the King is waiting, remember?" Riku said. The three apprentices snapped to attention, as if a switch went off in their brains, and nodded.

"Right. We're your escorts. We will bring you over to Disney Castle, wait until your business is done, and bring you back here," Artemis recited their mission.

"Oh, and we're Artemis, Theron, and Venus. Keyblade apprentices," Venus mentioned, gesturing to each of them.

"We're Sora, Riku and Kairi. Now that we all know each other, let's go," Sora grinned. The apprentices nodded, smiling, and lead the trio onto the ship.

_Well, this should be interesting._


	4. Aboard Charles

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took so long! I just wasn't sure if it was good enough, but I guess it is. As always, thank you for reviewing. Please, please, PLEASE, review. Let me know what you think! Give me suggestions, people. What do you want to happen? Tell me. :) Anyway, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, sheesh. If I did, well, things would be different. Obviously. ;)**

* * *

There was a very awkward silence aboard the Gummi Ship, which Artemis had secretly named Charles. When all six of the teenagers had boarded the small Gummi, only a few words were exchanged. Venus and Kairi talked a bit and Sora and Riku shared their thoughts on the situation. Which were mostly optimistic from Sora and pessimistic from Riku. To be expected, yes?

Currently, Charles sped through the black space at hyper speed with Theron as its pilot. Artemis was slightly put off by Theron piloting Charles, but figured that if they wanted to get their precious cargo to Disney Castle in one piece, it would be the smartest thing to do.

Artemis sighed, slumped into her chair and glanced around. Theron was concentrating on not crashing into any asteroids. Venus was nervously fiddling with her seat belt. _She's such a scaredy cat, _Artemis smirked and shook her head.

Sora and Kairi were sitting side by side gazing out the small window. It seemed they were whispering about something funny, since Kairi giggled and lightly smacked Sora on the arm. Sora responded by smiling and wrapping her in a hug. Artemis tilted her head, curious at their behavior. She dismissed it, assuming it was something couples did and glanced over towards Riku.

Riku happened to be looking over at her at the same time. Artemis blushed slightly at being caught before waving wildly. Riku hesitantly waved back before turning his attention to the circular window Sora and Kairi were looking at.

Artemis frowned slightly and straightened herself in her seat. _This is boring… _Suddenly, a loud growl erupted from her stomach. Everyone turned and whipped their head around towards the source of the noise.

A small chuckle escaped Artemis's lips as she embarrassingly covered her stomach. Theron glared at her fiercely, Venus was too nervous to care, Sora and Kairi stifled their laughter, and Riku just shrugged.

The short girl unbuckled her seat belt and stood up. _I need food. Badly. _Artemis tiptoed towards the tiny kitchen area. She didn't want to disturb the awkwardly peaceful silence. No one paid her any mind as she entered the kitchen.

Artemis quietly opened one of the cupboards. Then another. And another. Frustrated, the young girl held back a shout of anger. She bit her lip as she searched yet another cupboard. Finally, she slammed her fist on the counter and stomped her foot.

"Where the hell are the freaking chips!?"

Everyone turned around in their seat to see the raging white ball of fury. Her hands were balled into fists and she glared icily at the cupboards. She mumbled threats at the wooden doors.

Theron controlled himself, trying very hard not to burst at the girl and possibly crash the ship into an over-sized rock. "Artemis. You ate the chips before we left."

Silence once again suffocated the small ship. Riku face palmed. Venus sighed. Sora covered his mouth to keep his laughter from spilling out. Kairi slowly shook her head with a sad smile on her face.

Artemis relaxed her fists. Her mouth opened slightly and her shoulders dropped.

"Oh."

***

"Jeez, how long does it take to get to Disney Castle?" Artemis whined. She was sprawled over the kitchen table. After the incident with the chips, the awkward silence dissipated. Venus had relaxed slightly and stopped fiddling with her seat belt, instead opting to talk to Theron. Theron enjoyed this, as he had engaged in slight flirting, to which Venus was oblivious to. Sora and Kairi had migrated to the kitchen after Kairi stated she was hungry too. Riku joined them as well. Artemis, well, she was already there.

Kairi poked Artemis's arm, which was hanging off the edge of the table. "You know, you should be more patient. It hasn't even been an hour."

Artemis pouted. "Yeah, but there's nothing to do! It's not like I can train on this thing. Charles isn't made for that!"

The trio raised their eyebrows. "Charles?" Artemis hopped off the table, almost making it fall, and pumped her fist in the air.

"Yes! I named this Gummi Ship Charles! Isn't it a lovely name?" The white haired girl swooned and spun in a circle.

Kairi giggled at her antics. Sora and Riku exchanged looks that said, 'This girl is nuts'.

"I can't wait to meet all of your friends Sora," Kairi said suddenly and smiled. Sora smiled back and draped his arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll all like you! You too, Riku." Sora grinned at his best friend, earning a small smile in return.

Artemis stopped her swooning and sat next to Riku. "I can't wait either! Well, not to meet your friends. I can't wait to get to Disney Castle! I've never been to another world before, just ours. Oh, and yours, I guess." Artemis tapped her chin thoughtfully as she spoke.

"Oh, Artemis, I wanted to ask you something," Riku said. He put his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand.

"Oh, sure! What is it?" Artemis folded her hands in her lap and awaited the question. However, out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kairi nibbling on a cookie.

_C-cookie…I want it…No! Answer Riku's question first! …But the cookie…I'm so hungry…_

"Uhh, K-Kairi- I mean, Princess Kairi…could I have a cookie, please?" Artemis asked, eyeing the cookie ravenously.

Kairi smiled. "Sure. Here, and you don't have to call me princess." Kairi handed Artemis three cookies from the box she was holding. Sora poked her and nodded towards the box. Kairi rolled her eyes and handed him one as well. Sora grinned and pecked her on the cheek.

Artemis beamed at the precious cookies. Not even a second after Kairi handed them to her, they had already been swallowed whole. All three of them.

"Thank you so much, princess." Artemis rubbed her exposed stomach and slumped in her chair. Kairi, slightly taken aback, nodded.

Riku, who had waited patiently, cleared his throat. Artemis snapped back to attention and nodded. "Right. Uh, what did you want to ask again?" she asked, scratching the back of her neck.

"Well, I wanted to know if you could tell me what keyblade apprentices are," Riku said, shifting slightly in his seat to a more comfortable position. This caught Sora's attention. The spiky haired boy leaned in closer. Kairi leaned in as well, curiosity being her reason.

Artemis let out a breath. She leaned back casually. "That's it? Ok! We…are secret pirate ninjas trained in the way of the blade, durr." She grinned toothily and placed her arms behind her head.

"Idiot." Out of nowhere, a punch was delivered directly to Artemis's head, knocking her face first into the table. Kairi gasped and instinctively pulled back. Sora's eyes widened and Riku smirked.

"Owww, Theron! Why are you so mean?" Artemis mumbled. She rubbed her sore nose and glared at the pink haired boy.

"Why are you telling lies?" He glared back. Artemis's face dropped and she turned away, defeated.

"Yeah, exactly. Anyway, we are not secret pirate ninjas trained in the way of the blade." Theron shoved Artemis out of her seat and sat down. Artemis once again whined in pain and assumed a criss-cross position on the floor.

"Ok…so what are you guys, really?" Sora asked. He was genuinely interested.

"Well, we're just kids that are training to be Keyblade Masters. Like you. Artemis is the closest to becoming master. How? I've got no clue. Next is me, then Venus. We're ranked by our strength and skill. Strength being physically and in relation to our hearts. That's pretty much it." Theron shrugged and stole a cookie from Kairi. Kairi pouted, but did nothing about it.

"So why haven't we heard about this before? And why didn't Sora have any training?" Riku asked, donning a serious face. Sora nodded, also wanting to know the answer.

Theron shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the King knows? Or our master. Why don't you ask the King when we get there?" Theron stood up and left the kitchen just as silently as he came.

Riku sighed and relaxed in his chair. "I guess we'll do just that, right Sora?"

"Yup." Sora nodded.

"Gah, stupid, pink bully. I hate him," Artemis grumbled as she slid back onto the chair.

"Yeah…you guys don't get along too well, huh?" Sora chuckled slightly. Kairi frowned.

"Why is that though? You're pretty nice. I don't get why he doesn't like you," Kairi said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hmph, he's just jealous of me. 'Cause I'm closest to becoming a master. He doesn't think I deserve it, but I do," Artemis glared and balled her fists under the table, "since I am the strongest out of all of us. Whatever. I just hope to be as strong as you one day, Sora! Or even you, Riku!" Artemis grinned widely and clasped her hands together.

Sora smiled, flattered by the girl's admiration towards him. Kairi's eyes narrowed, but she ignored the smile Sora gave Artemis. She hated to admit it, but she was slightly jealous of the white haired girl.

"Um, excuse me, but, uh, we're here," a tiny voice said. The group looked over to see Venus. She anxiously played with the hem of her blue dress and adjusted her belt.

"Finally! God, it's been centuries! I think my hair got even whiter!" Artemis hopped off the chair and followed Venus into the other room. Sora, Riku and Kairi followed them both, each of them smiling at their thoughts.

_I can't wait to see everybody again! Especially Donald and Goofy!_

_I'm so excited to meet Sora's friends!_

_Time to ask the King some questions…_


	5. Tension Within The Group

**Author's Note: Alright, guys, I know you are reading. There ARE hits. So why is there only one consistent reviewer? D: Come onnn, tell me what you like and don't like peoples! -sigh- Anyway, there's some action in this chapter, hope you guys enjoy!! **

**Oh, and to finalflash1992 (thank you for reviewing btw!!), Venus does have an OCD, it's more like severe anxiety. And Artemis isn't a pirate, just acts like one I guess...xD. But who knows? Maybe she does owe Jack some money? ;]**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own KH or anything Disney, ok? If I did, I would be veeeerrryyy rich. **

* * *

Artemis stood there, gawking at the Gummi Hanger of Disney Castle. It wasn't anything like the one on her world. It was smaller, though it had much more technology. Way more advanced.

"Artemis, stop staring like a fool, come on," Theron growled, tugging the white haired girl's arm. She followed reluctantly, still taking in the sight of the hanger. Venus removed Theron's rough grip from Artemis's arm, and guided her gently up the steps.

Kairi smiled at the awed expression painted on Artemis's face as she waited from the top of the stairs. She turned her head, looking at Sora. He was also waiting patiently for the three apprentices. Riku stood next to him, hand tucked carelessly in his pocket, a bored expression on his face. A hint of a smile tugged on his lips though when Artemis glanced his way. Kairi caught this, and her smiled widened.

"Guys, let's go! The King is waiting!" Sora said, jumping up and down in excitement. He stopped his childish antics when he felt a small tug on his pants. Looking down, a grin broke out on the young keyblade master's face.

"Chip! Dale! It's good to see you again." Sora bent down to the little creatures. Chip and Dale hopped back and forth, waving their hands about.

"Sora, we're so glad you could make it. The King's been waiting. He's in the throne room," Chip said. Dale nodded enthusiastically.

"Ohhh, so cute!" Artemis had finally reached the landing the others were at and squealed at the furry little chipmunks. She walked over and dropped to her knees, examining them closer.

"Uhh, Sora, who is this?" Dale asked, stepping in front of Chip slightly.

"Oh, this is Artemis. That guy over there is Theron, and the girl hiding behind him is Venus," Sora said casually, nodding at each of them respectively.

"Oh! You're the friends of the King!" Chip exclaimed, jumping out from behind Dale. Chip scuttled up onto the control panel not far from them. Dale followed.

"Yup. Our Master knows the king personally," Artemis chirped, standing up straight and grinning at the duo.

"Wow, what happened to your Gummi?" Dale asked, staring at Charles.

Theron glared at Artemis as she nervously scratched the back of her neck.

"Heh, heh...I pressed a button...and...stuff happened. But that's not important! We gotta see the King, right Sora?" Artemis quickly changed the subject, skipping over to Sora and leaning her elbow on his shoulder.

Kairi barely held back a glare. Sora stumbled a little and nodded before slyly stepping away from Artemis.

"Right. Let's go!" Sora grabbed Kairi's hand and motioned for Riku to follow as he climbed the dark steps up to the courtyard.

Artemis waved good-bye to Chip and Dale before running to catch up with Sora.

Theron sighed, "Doesn't Artemis understand that Sora is off limits? She should be acting more professional, more her age."

Venus looked up at Theron and frowned. "She's just excited. I'm sure she understands that Sora has a girlfriend, and I'm sure that she doesn't even think of him that way. He's her hero. That's it. But I do agree with you...she should be acting more professional. This is our first mission, after all. We'll just have to talk to her."

The two sighed in unison before trudging up the narrow staircase to the outside.

***

Sora breathed a deep breath of fresh air as he emerged from the stuffy Gummi Hanger. Kairi smiled as she came out of the bush sculpture, excited and glad to see the blue sky once again. Riku followed behind the couple, taking in his surroundings.

"Alright guys, so the King is in the throne room. Let's see...oh, there's the exit! Follow me." Sora sprinted off to the right, following a dirt path around some decorative bushes. Kairi giggled to herself before grabbing Riku's hand and dragging him along. Riku smirked as he allowed Kairi to pull him in the direction Sora went off.

"Jeez, it's such a relief there aren't any heartless this time..." Sora mumbled to himself. He sat high atop a bush, sturdy enough to hold his weight, as he waited for the others.

Kairi came around the corner, glancing around for Sora. "Sora? Where'd you go?" She frowned as she looked towards Riku for an answer. He merely pointed, "Up there, Kairi."

Kairi looked and found Sora, grinning on top of the bush. Kairi half smiled as she walked up to him. "Come on down." She held her hand out to him. Sora, instead of jumping down, grasped Kairi's hand and pulled her up in one swoop. Kairi squealed as Sora adjusted her on his lap.

"We still gotta wait for Arty and the others, remember?," he said as he rested his head on her shoulder. Pink tainted Kairi's cheeks as she nodded, leaning her head against the spiky locks of her love.

Riku smiled at the couple, even though the display of mushy affection did slightly gross him out. He opted to lean against the castle wall across from the two love birds.

Suddenly, a shriek erupted from the peaceful courtyard, startling the three teens. Riku immediately straightened himself, alert and ready from whatever caused that scream. Kairi clutched onto Sora's arm as he tightened his grip around her waist.

"Riku, that sounded like Artemis," Sora said, concerned for the white haired girl. Riku nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll go check it out, just stay here." Riku took off in a jog, going towards the grass sculpture in the center of the yard.

***

Artemis skipped merrily out of the gloomy staircase, relieved to see green grass and the blue sky. She was reminded of her home world, which sobered her down quite a bit. A small smile played at her lips as she recalled happy memories from the time on her world.

"Hey, Arty, we need to talk." Theron and Venus emerged from the mini castle sculpture. Venus had a nervous expression plastered to her pale face and Theron had his signature glare piercing through Artemis.

Artemis turned her head around and tilted it to the side. "I was just remembering about our world. This courtyard reminds me of it. It reminds me of our training sessions back home," Artemis said, her eyes downcast and the small smile still in place on her lips.

"Arty, uh, you need to take this mission more seriously," Venus murmured. Theron nodded stiffly. Artemis's head snapped up, shock clearly evident on her face.

"What do you mean? I am taking this seriously!" She balled her fists and furrowed her brow. She couldn't believe it. Her own friends were doubting her dedication to their first mission?

"No...you aren't, not really. You keep...uh, flirting with the keyblade master," Venus said, blushing. She played with the ends of her pony tail. It was obvious to tell she was not enjoying this conversation at all.

"Yeah, just back off him. He has a girl. Kairi sure doesn't seem to like it when you glomp him," Theron said, shifting his weight to his other side as he placed his hand in his pocket.

"W-what?! I am _not_ flirting with Sora! I know he loves Kairi, duh. I would never, ever do that. He's just...my hero. I can't show admiration for my hero?!" Artemis waved her arms around for emphasis. She was very flustered.

"Arty, you're blushing..." Venus said, eyes focused on the green grass. Theron narrowed his eyes.

"You show a little _too _much admiration. We're on a mission, so just act your age and be a good apprentice, alright?" Theron said in a slightly mocking tone.

Artemis was taken aback. She flexed her fist and spread out her legs into a more aggressive stance. "Don't talk to me like that, Theron. I'm a rank above you. I'm the one that's in charge of this mission. You should not be ordering me around," she said menacingly.

Theron raised his brow, removing his hand from his pocket. "You don't even deserve to be a master! You are so immature. You can't take anything seriously, you only think about food, and you're a terrible fighter.

That was it. He struck a nerve. Artemis screamed, a battle cry of sorts, as she summoned her keyblade and lunged at Theron. Venus shrieked and fell back, landing roughly on her butt. She stared wide eyed at her best friend, attacking her other best friend.

Theron barely managed to roll out of the way before Artemis's keyblade came down with tremendous force. Her eyes cornered over to him and she dashed over, so quick, it looked like she disappeared.

Theron summoned his keyblade just in time and blocked a deadly blow from Artemis. Feathers fell from her keyblade as it connected with Theron's. The blade was an angel's wing, the tips of the feathers sharp and deadly.

"Do not call me a terrible fighter unless you want your ass handed to you," she hissed, kicking the stunned Theron in the chest, sending him flying across the courtyard.

Riku came running in, and quickly stepped to the side as Theron flew past him. Riku was wide eyed as Theron hit the castle wall, resulting in a loud crash. Sora and Kairi dashed into the courtyard, both as wide eyed and jumpy looking.

Sora took in the scene in an instant, backing Kairi behind him protectively. The princess didn't even recognize her boyfriend's gestures, she stepped around and slightly ahead of him in one graceful instant. Her gaze darted from the young girl, panting, keyblade dangling from her hand; to the larger young man, bleeding against the wall of the castle. A wild look came into Kairi's eyes, a small smile dominated her face.

Artemis let her keyblade disappear in a flurry of feathers as she turned around to see Sora, Riku and Kairi staring in shock and disbelief.

She frowned and cleared her throat. "I...I'm sorry you three had to see that...he...just..." her voice trailed off as her head tilted downwards.

Venus, who was too stunned to stop the fight, quickly snapped out of her stupor as she saw Theron struggling to get up. She stood on shaky legs and ran over to him, dropping to her knees at his side. "Oh, Theron...why did you do that? You know she's stronger than you..." She frowned, trying to hold back tears. She was much too sensitive.

"I...don't know," he said, sighing. Venus turned her shameful glare to Artemis.

"Artemis. You could had really hurt him!" she cried. Artemis flinched at the pain in Venuses voice.

"I'm sorry. But he had no right to say that, Vee." Artemis frowned, looking up, keeping her voice strong.

"But..." Venus didn't even bother. She knew Artemis was right. Theron was out of line. Artemis _was_ the leader of the mission and she _did_ out rank the two of them.

"Just heal him up, alright?" Artemis said. She walked over to Sora, Riku and Kairi.

Before she could open her mouth, Theron spoke up. "This isn't over! Vee, heal me, now," Theron demanded. Venus obliged, quickly casting a cure spell. Theron stood up shakily and summoned his keyblade again.

Artemis's mouthed pressed into a thin line as she clenched her jaw. Her eyes narrowed threateningly. "Theron. Please, don't embarrass yourself, especially in front of the keyblade master and his friends. Let's just go see the King," she said harshly.

"No! I will not just be defeated like this," Theron said, determined. He tightened his grasp on the hilt of his blade and got into his stance.

Finally, Sora spoke up.

"Enough, both of you," Sora's voice barked out, he stepped forward towards the two apprentices. "Your job was to escort us here, make sure we're safe, and then bring us back. That was it. None of this. The King has been waiting long enough. Now come on, let's go." There was no room for back talk, he was already turning and walking away from them.

The master snatched the princess's hand up as he walked past, and she followed hesitantly. Artemis watched the red-head glance back over her shoulder at her, a look of confusion and even question in her eyes. When their attentions did lock in on each other, she watched Kairi flash a sly smile at her, before turning her back so swiftly so her hair whipped around her head. Riku gave her a look as well, one Artemis could not decipher, tucking his hands in his pockets and shrugging his shoulders up around his ears before following his companions.

Artemis frowned, her hands fisting the soft material of her wrap around skirt. She felt embarrassed and ashamed. She slowly trudged after Sora, waving for Venus and Theron to follow without looking at them. Theron growled before letting his keyblade disappear in a burst of flames. Venus gently touched his hand, immediately getting his attention. He looked down at her with confused eyes.

"What?"

"Please, let's not get into a fight. Artemis is our friend. And...I don't want you getting hurt," Venus smiled sadly and briefly touched Theron's bruised arm before running after Artemis. Theron sighed. A smile tugged on his lips though as her last comment sunk in.


	6. The King Said What?

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the delay!!! D: Please forgive me..whoever is still reading this...I'm not going to lie...I was lazy. The summer is making me a lump. I apologize, again! Please review! And I'm sorry for grammar errors.**

**Oh..Also...A new fanfiction is in the works...more details later.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own kh. If I did...coded would not be for cell phones. Simple as that.  
**

* * *

Riku was in a mood. A confused, bad mood. He didn't wait for the servants on either side of the big purple doors to the throne room to open the barriers for him. He took an unnatural place as leader, standing at the point of the group and throwing the doors open with his own hands. He proceeded to make a beeline towards the king, gesturing savagely over his shoulder towards the apprentices as he came closer to King Mickey.

"Your Highness, what the Hell, pardon me, heck, what the HECK are these fools doing hanging around us?" his voice was perhaps a bit too loud. He half expected Sora to grab his arm to settle him down, but he could just feel the backup radiating off his best friend. Sora agreed with Riku's anger, at least at the moment.

"They can't even manage to keep themselves off each OTHERS throats! They're hardly disciplined enough to be our _bodyguards_. I suggest that they be dismissed- immediately," he growled.

Mickey seemed astonished. "But Riku, I never thought you were a pussy! I always assumed that you like... walked on the wild side and all that. You know what I mean? Leather jackets and motorcycles?" he did a little dance, as if trying to be hip.

Riku blinked, flabbergasted, probably slightly disgusted. Then he regained himself. "King Mickey, obviously I'm not worried about my own safety, or that of Sora. But the princess? Surely you wouldn't put her at the risk of such temperamental, emotion-driven buffoons."

The king's eyes darkened at mention of Kairi's well-being, obviously sensing a challenge in the air. "Both you and Sora are rather emotion-driven yourselves, don't you think, Riku?" one dark eyebrow arched regally upwards in question.

"Et tu, Brute?" Venus murmured quietly to herself. Nobody heard her.

Sora decided to come to his friend's aid at that moment. "Sir, we're only saying that maybe it would be best if we and the apprentices went our separate ways now." He held his hands out, palms up, towards the king.

Artemis chewed on her bottom lip nervously as the King rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. She didn't want to leave just because of Theron. It wasn't fair. She was perfectly capable of controlling her emotions when she wanted to, and she would if it meant she could stay. She spared a glance towards her teammates. Venus had a frown firmly set on her lips, eyes downcast. Theron look bored, as usual. Artemis shook her head. _No. I will not give up! This is my first mission and I will follow through with it!_

"Your majesty!" Artemis stepped forward, next to Riku. He exchanged a look with Sora before allowing her to pass. Artemis wasted no time getting on her knees before the king.

"Please, your majesty, don't make us go. I promise what happened before will never ever happen again. None of us would ever endanger the princess, I swear. We're here to protect Sora, Riku and Kairi. We will not fail at our mission. Please, give us one more chance?" Artemis looked back at Riku, directing her last question at him as well. Riku look her over, his aquamarine eyes piercing.

Artemis pushed her bottom lip out and widened her eyes. _Please be a sucker for cute faces…_

The faintest of pinks tinted Riku's cheeks as he haughtily looked to the side. "Fine. I'm sure this is fine with you, your majesty?"

The king nodded, a happy smile spread across his face, "Well! Now that this is out of the way, let's get ya'll settled."

Artemis grinned and leapt up. "We won't let you down, right guys?" she beamed.

Venus and Theron both nodded.

"Alright, welp, I'll have someone show you to your rooms. I still have some birthday business to take care of." The king waved over a servant, who happened to have the group's bags, before dismissing everyone.

The teens followed the servant out of the massive throne room. Outside in the hall, it was peaceful and quiet, a slight breeze blew in from the courtyard.

_Everything will be okay now…_Artemis smiled to herself softly as they continued walking through the castle.

***

Some minutes later, the group finally arrived at their rooms. The servant bowed politely after having put their belongings in their rooms before going back to his previous duties.

"So…I guess the girls will go in one room, us in the other?" Sora asked, hands behind his head in his signature pose.

"Well, yeah. I don't want to hear you and Kairi going at it or something." Riku shrugged his shoulders.

"Riku!" Sora and Kairi both had bright red blushes painted on their faces. Sora elbowed Riku's side, earning an "ow" in response. Kairi pushed him, rather pathetically, before joining Artemis and Venus on the opposite side of the hall.

"Good night, Riku, Sora," Kairi grumbled, pushing open the ornate door. Sora reached out for her, but Kairi had already slammed the door shut. Artemis glanced back between the oak door and Sora before plastering a cheesy, albeit nervous, smile on her face.

"Eh heh heh…don't worry, Sora. Vee and I will make sure she's ok! Good night, sleep tight!" Artemis waved before grabbing Venus and pushing her in the room and kicking the door shut.

Sora glared at his best friend, punching him on his arm. "Hey! I bruise easily…" Riku murmured, rubbing his now sore arm.

"So? Look what you did. You went and pissed off Kairi. Idiot," Sora sighed before slumping against the wall.

Riku shrugged with his good arm before twisting the knob on the door and pushing it open, "It's not like she's mad at you, dude. Chill out." Without another word, he disappeared in the room, leaving Theron and Sora alone.

Theron glanced down at the slightly shorter boy, wondering what he should say. He awkwardly patted the Keyblade Master's shoulder. Sora jumped, completely forgetting Theron was there, as his head swiveled upwards.

"Oh…Theron."

Theron cleared his throat, "Um, Princess Kairi will calm down soon…so, don't worry about it…"

Not even waiting for the brunette's response, Theron quickly entered the room, glad that that was over.

Sora stood alone in the hall, slightly baffled. "Um…ok."


	7. A Touch Of Destiny

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thank you for the reviews! I did a little bit of research for this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. As always, pleeeease tell me if there are any grammar mistakes. So, sit back and enjoy! _And don't forget to review ;)_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KH or Disney stuff. I only own Artemis, Theron and Venus. Yay for me. D:  
**

* * *

Kairi huffed as she stuffed the last of her clothes in the wooden dresser. Artemis was on the bed, playing with her toes and Venus was reading a book. Sighing, Kairi flopped herself on the bed Venus was on.

"You know what I think, Vee?" she began, running her hands back through her hair and adopting the nickname she had heard Artemis use, "I think that boys are JURKS!" she continued without waiting for reply. She pounded a fist against the mattress beside the apprentice's head, and the girl jumped. The princess snatched a pillow from against the headboard and shoved it beneath her skull.

She continued to rant at Venus's silence, assuming that it meant she was paying attention, not that she was too shy to speak. "I mean, what the hell? Excuse me, heck. Sorry if you guys don't swear," she glanced up at the other bed, towards Artemis, who was sucking on one of her feet and watching the princess, unblinking. Kairi had to look away. "But seriously, why would Riku say something like that unless SORA had said something like that?!"

"Your highness...," Venus began to murmur, feeling that perhaps she should come out of her shell if only to keep the princess from hurting herself. She wasn't sure what the young lady would do if worked into a rage. Kairi completely bulldozed over her.

"But I mean, Sora's not the type, right? He would never say something like that. He knows that I wanna wait until we're older, at least," she paused, chewing her lip. Venus withdrew back into her self. This was why she didn't talk to people. A thought hit Kairi and she gasped loudly. "What if all the pressure of being 'Keyblade master,'" she wiggled her fingers to make air quotes, "is getting to him?! What if it's like, he feels like he needs to get laid now on top of everything, or other guys will make fun of him. Oh God," she flipped over and buried her face in the pillow.

She continued to mumble randomly into the pillow, words that only Artemis could manage to make out. She cocked her head to the side and paid attention closely, then snorted. "You're an idiot," she did a back roll on the bed to get on her feet, then a front roll in the same movement to get her feet on the ground at the end of the bed. Kairi looked up at her in surprise. She'd never been directly insulted in her life. At least not by someone who (supposedly) wanted to stay on good terms.

A growl began to rise in the princess's throat, but she was cut off by Artemis speaking. "He's the keyblade master, he's Sora, he's our savior, our idol. He's pure of heart and body and soul. He's the kid that loves you, he's your knight in shining armor, he's your one and only!" she listed off without missing a beat. "You're going to think that someone like that is preoccupied by his reputation with the guys? Jesus, royalty _is _stupid and melodramatic!"

Venus gasped, "Artemis...!" Her face grew hot and she glanced between the princess and her companion. They were just pushing the limits of their hosts. They were gonna get thrown out any second now, she could feel it. "Your... Your Majesty... please... what she's trying to say...," she began to murmur quietly.

Kairi was sitting up now, staring hard at Artemis, who was gazing back at her quite placidly. They held each others' gaze for a good ten seconds, seconds in which Venus continued to mumble unintelligibly. And then, without warning, Artemis twitched, Kairi's lips pulled back from her teeth in a very human snarl, and they both went at each others' throats.

Venus screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

"You little bitch!" Kairi got her hands on Artemis before Artemis got her hands on Kairi. "How dare you tell me anything about Sora! You don't _know _him!" she pushed the girl back against the bed.

"No way, princess!" the apprentice taunted, grabbing Kairi's hand and twisting her arm around behind her back. She whispered in her ear as the redhead let out a yelp of pain. "_You_ don't know him. How could you ever think something like that about the Keyblade Master?!"

"I'm gonna kill you!" Kairi yelped, spinning around and kicking Artemis's legs out from beneath her. She pounced on her chest and pinned her shoulders down with her knees. "Don't you ever talk about him again! Do you get me?!"

Artemis didn't respond, just flipped Kairi over. She was much stronger than the princess. She pulled her fist back, ready to punch the other girl in the face (hard), and then her fist was caught quite suddenly. She looked up, and it took a moment for Kairi to come out of her cringing position to notice that she wasn't having her face beat in.

Artemis's face paled. A pair of piercing blue eyes glared at her, the face in which they laid drawn and cold and dangerous, a keyblade resting in the bare hand of the boy who had stopped her. For a moment everything tensed, nobody moved. Then, before she could react, before anyone could react except him, Artemis felt herself being thrown back by the force of a socked foot being placed in the center of her stomach. Sora's kick sent her slamming back into an arm chair, where she landed quite discombobulated, and then he advanced on her again.

His voice was a low, cold fury of a voice, and she imagined that a polar freeze was washing over her face as he spoke to her. "What were you about to do?" he asked softly, his hands gripping the arms of the chair, the keyblade pressed down hard against the material. She blinked at him, horrified. He spoke louder, "What were you about to do?"

She shook her head, unable to say anything. A sinking feeling was happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. Sora shook the chair and roared in her face, "WHAT WERE YOU ABOUT TO DO? ANSWER ME!"

"Were you going to hurt the princess? Were you?" his voice was a growl, his face inches from her. "Tell me. I won't hit you if you tell me," he coaxed. "What did you think you were doing, Artemis? Abusing your charge? Hm?"

"No, no, Sora, no," she argued. The next thing she saw was Kairi shouldering her way past the boy and drawing back her hand to slap Artemis across the face. The attack was sharp and stung a lot. The girl was strong. Tears sprung into Artemis's eyes.

"I told you never to talk about him again! So why'd you say his name?!" Kairi shrieked furiously.

"Come with me," Sora seized Artemis under the arm, and she was forced to follow along behind him helplessly. "We're getting your keyblade taken away for this. Immediately."

"Nooo!" Artemis moaned loudly as she was dragged out the door, down the hallway, and around the corner.

***

"NOOOOO!!!" Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping up onto her feet without a second's pause. She literally shot right into the air. "No! No! I'm sorry!" she jumped off the bed and looked around wildly. "Please don't take it away! Please! No!"

She looked down suddenly and saw Kairi laying on her back on the bed, staring at her wide eyed, mouth slightly agape. Venus was leaning forward, a deck of cards in her hand, laying them out beside the princess's head. She was paused, one arm half outstretched, staring at her leader.

"It... it was a dream?" Artemis panted, patting herself down and quickly summoning her keyblade for reassurance. She stroked it gently to comfort herself.

"Uh...," Kairi looked to Venus for help.

"Arty, you fell asleep as soon as Kairi rolled over and started mumbling," Venus told her. "Now calm down, sweetie. Have a seat. I'm telling fortunes."

Artemis, hardly believing her luck(!), nodded and sat down shakily to watch the princess's fortune be told. Venus seemed to have opened up a little bit while Artemis was having her nightmare. She must have fallen asleep while sucking her toes. That had always soothed her.

Her eyes locked in on the cards in front of Kairi. She didn't know what any of them meant, she didn't know that Venus could predict the future. Since when was Sensei giving out that class? She watched her friend set down the final card and tell Kairi what it meant. The Princess seemed pleased. A smile spread, revealing her lovely smile. Artemis remembered Kairi slapping her in the dream. She cringed a little.

Venus looked up at her, eyes steady, one eyebrow higher than the other. "Your turn," she said, sweeping the cards up in one clean motion and quickly shuffling the deck several times. Artemis moved to sit on the bed next to the princess, working carefully to keep their bodies from having any physical contact. She was still a little freaked.

She was pretty good at paying attention, but she didn't really believe in all this hocus pocus enough to watch carefully as Venus did her thing. However, she did notice that a frown was growing deeper on her companion's face, and that annoyed her. She didn't want a bad fortune. Not when Kairi had gotten such a good one.

"Whadoezit, whadoezit say?" she asked once Venus sat back to stare down at the red and black pieces of laminated paper. They looked silent and boring before her eyes, they didn't whisper words to her as they did to Venus.

"The Fool Reverse," she began, pointing to a card, "a bad decision, perhaps indecision, hesitation, or a faulty choice. In other words," she looked up at Artemis from beneath her lashes, "this isn't good."

"Yeah yeah, go on," Artemis tapped a finger against the crease of her arm, ready for some stuff like 'greatest keyblade wielder in the world' to come along.

"The Emperor Reverse," Venus continued, pointing again, "this represents immaturity, indecision, feebleness, petty emotions, or a lack of strength." She stopped to look at Artemis, whom continued to tap tap tap away on her arm.

Venus went on. "Death upright. Transformation, making way for the new, unexpected change," Artemis was smiling at these three, but her expression dropped again as Venus kept talking, "loss, failure, illness or death, and bad luck."

"The Star Reverse," Venus whispered, breathing more heavily, "unfulfilled hopes, disappointment, crushed dreams, bad luck, and mental imbalance," her words were barely audible as she hushed. Nobody spoke.

Artemis stared at the cards, the pictures which swam before her eyes. "Do it again." She ordered. Venus looked at her in surprise. "Do it again."

She did it again. Artemis was barely breathing by this point. It had come out the exact same way. She pushed her hair back from her face several times and sucked in a breath through her nostrils.

"How much faith do you put in these, Venus?" she asked quietly. She was pretty sure that she knew the answer. She knew Venus.

"In my world... the cards never lie," she said softly, not meeting her leader's eyes.

There was another pause. Artemis broke it. She snatched up all four cards, and in a quick movement, tore them all in half. Her face twisted as she said, "In my world, I make my own fate," and left into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.


	8. Poker Face

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. I've finally had the chance to have some FUN this summer. Oh, and since school is gonna start soon, I'm just gonna throw this out there. Updates will be like every 2 or 3 weeks now. Still on Friday's though I hope. Well, enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you think!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own KH...if I did we'd totally know more about Birth By Sleep...But alas, we know so little.**

* * *

Later, after she had showered for a long time and laid down in bed, Artemis found herself wide awake staring at the ceiling. She was sleeping in the queen sized bed farther from the door, while Venus and Kairi snoozed in the bed closer to the door. Part of the reason that she could not fall asleep was that she had slept for a while beforehand, the other reason that too many thoughts were going through her head.

She was so into her own thoughts that she didn't notice any change in the room until she felt someone jump on her in the semi-darkness. She almost yelped, but controlled herself. Princess Kairi was already speaking at her, her words an excitable growl.

"I love your style," she exclaimed, snarling with her excitement. "You _must _teach me." She grinned wide and her teeth caught the moonlight coming through the massive paneled window on the far side of the room.

Artemis arched a snowy white brow, staring questioningly at the red headed princess. "I thought you were mad at me, Princess…," she said, shifting to sit up.

Kairi let her mouth drop as she blankly stared at Artemis. "Why would I be _angry?_" Kairi rolled backwards and sprawled out on the bed. "You're too COOL to get angry at!" She laughed, kicking her feet slightly in the air.

Artemis shrugged, getting into a criss-cross position. "Theron thought you were getting territorial."

Kairi stiffened and stopped kicking the air. She narrowed her eyes at Artemis, "Yes, well, I'm sure you won't try any of THAT."

Artemis laughed like a mad man. "Not at all! He's too girly for moi," Artemis said, catching her breath.

Kairi frowned, sitting up herself. "He is not girly…," she muttered.

Artemis laughed nervously. "I didn't mean to offend you, Princess. He's just, uh, not my type. But you two are great together!"

Kairi merely shrugged it off.

***

Meanwhile, across the hall from the girls, the boys were dying of boredom.

"I can't sleep. Ugh, what's there to do?" Sora groaned, sitting up in his cozy bed. Riku, who was lounging on the window seat, shrugged his shoulders and threw a glance towards Theron.

"Pinky, what do you wanna do?" Riku asked. Theron glared, but controlled himself, muttered an 'I don't know' and fell back onto the bed.

Sora sighed and stared at the floor. Riku looked out the window at the glowing moon, contemplating. After a moment of complete silence, he spoke up.

"This sucks. Let's get the chicks in here," Riku announced, facing the other boys.

Sora brightened up considerably, "I'll do it." Sora moved to get up. Riku got to his feet and slowly pushed Sora back down onto the bed with one hand. Sora looked up, confused.

"Please bro, we don't need a round of _beautiful dreamer. _I'LL get them." With that, he promptly left the room.

Theron glanced at Sora, trying to hold back laughter. "Pfft…"

"Shut up." Sora pouted, crossing his arms.

***

Riku stood outside the door to the girls room. Inhaling a deep breath, he said in his loudest voice, "LITTLE GIRLS, LITTLE GIRLS, LET ME COME IN!"

The muffled voices of Artemis and Kairi came through the door, "NOT BY THE HAIR OF OUR CHINNY CHIN CHINS!

Riku's face twisted in disgust. "They have hair on their CHINS…?" he asked himself quietly. Waving it off, he raised his voice, "POKER TIME! YOU LITTLE PIGGIES IN?"

The sound of feet pattering on the floor from behind the door reached Riku's ears. Abruptly, the door swung open, nearly hitting him in the face. Three girls stood there, each with messy hair, and one poor blond being dragged by the collar of her shirt.

"Hell yes." Artemis pushed Riku out of the way, and crossed the hall, dragging Venus behind her. Venus's moans and groans echoed throughout the hallway.

"Artyyy, I'm not handicapped!"

Kairi followed with a smile plastered on her face, a skip in her step. Riku paused for a second, regaining his composure, then followed quickly behind them.

Kairi reached up, about to rap on the door, when Artemis swiftly kicked it in. Sora and Theron both had looks of surprise etched on their faces. "Hellooo, boys. Ready to play some REAL cards?" A sly smile spread across her face as she entered the room, Venus behind her. Kairi, stunned, slowly followed behind Artemis with Riku trailing behind.

***

The lights were dimmed to a golden glow, just enough for them to see the cards and people in front of them. In the middle of the room stood an old wood table they had found with everyone seated on pillows around it.

Artemis had a candy cig in her mouth. As she held her cards, she sent an intense glare around the table.

Riku, who had reclaimed his seat by the window behind Artemis, sipped noisily from his juice box. "She's lying!" he shouted, letting the juice box leave his mouth just for a second.

Artemis whipped her head around at him. "Hey!" she pouted, glaring daggers at the silver haired boy.

Sora wiggled his finger at the girl. "Hand it overrrr."

Artemis sputtered for a second before throwing one more glare at Riku, then surrendering her card with a grumble.

Theron rested his head on his hand, leaning on the table. "Wow. I never knew "real cards" meant "go fish"." He glowered at Artemis.

Artemis waved her hand at him. "Oh dooo shut up. We havin' a fine time 'ere!" she grinned.

On the other side of the room, a snore erupted, breaking the relatively peaceful silence the group had for a moment. Kairi snored away, curled up in a little ball on Sora's plush bed.

Theron, after cringing from the loud, obnoxious snore, turned politely to Sora. "Sir, not to be rude or anything, but do you think her own room would be a more appropriate spot for the princess?" He crossed his fingers, begging for the Keyblade Master to agree and get rid of that snoring menace.

Sora turned to him, starry eyed. "Not at all. I love the sound of her snoring." He gazed back at her lovingly. She snored loudly once again, nearly shaking the room.

Riku stared expressionless at the spectacle. "Yiiiaaaahhhh….I'm movin' 'er." He slipped off his seat and swiftly picked up Kairi in one scoop before leaving.

Sora jumped up with wide, erratic eyes. "DON'T BUMP HER!" He shouted in a high pitched voice. He was hyperventilating as he watched the door close.

Artemis whispered to herself, "Someone had a little too much caffeine…"

Riku simply held one hand over his head as he kept going.

Venus suddenly shifted her eyes, back and forth. The remaining of the group took notice. Her eyes flickered down to the table and up to them at least 30 times. Artemis stared at her quizzically. "Uh…Vee?"

The blond looked down in front of her, at her cards. "I win." Seventeen pairs of matched cards were placed in front of her.


	9. The Partay

**Author's Note: OMG I'm soooo sorry D: This is like, waaaay late. I apologize for my laziness!!!! I'd really appreciate it if you guys would leave a review...please? I also made this chapter extra long! :D So hurray for that! I hope you except this as a good enough apology. **

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own kh. :[ Damn you Nomura.**

* * *

Artemis and Venus had retired to their room, exhausted from the night's events. Riku returned shortly after tucking the snoring Kairi into bed, only to find Theron and Sora already passed out.

***

Morning came quickly. The sun glared through the open windows, blinding poor Artemis.

"Ahh! The sun. It burnssss," Artemis ducked under her covers, hissing. Venus, who was already awake, shook her head and heaved a sigh.

"Arty, you're so funny," Kairi giggled from across the room. She sat by the mirror, untangling the mess of red hair.

Artemis, who was peering out from under the blanket at the princess, coughed "SEX HAIR!" quickly to herself. She popped her head out at Kairi, grinning at the young princess. "Yeah, I know. So! What do we have planned for today?" Artemis tossed the covers off the bed and stood up with her fists on her hips.

"Well, today is the King's birthday party, remember? It starts this afternoon. I suppose we should have breakfast first, then get ready. What do you think?" Venus folded her hands in her lap, eyeing Kairi and Artemis.

"That sounds good. Right, Art?" Kairi asked, placing the comb on the nightstand next to her.

Artemis nodded firmly. "Good! Food first. I like the way you think, Vee." Artemis walked by and patted the blonde on the head, earning a small murmur in return. Kairi stood up, smoothing out her pajamas.

"Do you think the boys are up?" Kairi stretched, yawning as she did.

Artemis shrugged her shoulders as she reached for the door knob. "Dunno, we'll find out though. Now, I'm starving. You guys coming?" She pulled open the door, gesturing out into the hall.

Venus and Kairi were out the door before Artemis could even blink.

***

The dining hall was set magnificently with every breakfast food known to man. The aroma wafted throughout the whole castle, drawing the girls towards it. Once inside they couldn't help themselves. Artemis flung her small body into a seat and started grabbing every everything in sight. Pancakes, eggs, waffles, bacon. Everything she could get her tiny hands on. Kairi plopped down and dug in. Venus, actually taking notice of the others in the room, cleared her throat loudly.

"Whut?" Artemis looked up from her food. She followed Venus's blue gaze and immediately choked.

Only a couple seats away from them, Sora, Theron, the Queen, the King, and her idol himself, sat- staring at her wide eyed.

Artemis stood quickly, chair screeching on the marble floor. "Your Majesty!" she shrieked at Sora. "Oh my god, please forgive me! I was just so hungry… and the food is so delicious!" Artemis bowed in shame, hiding her crimson face.

"Uh… Artemis?" Sora's voice was choked. She looked up slowly, closing one eye as if in preparation for a punch in the face.

"Yes, your highness…?" she coughed at the end, covering her mouth with her fist.

Sora pointed a finger twice at Mickey. "I'm not king." His look mirrored hers exactly.

Silence consumed the massive dining hall.

"Awkwarrrd…"

A delicate cough from the far end of the table grabbed the room's attention. Queen Minnie smiled politely and waved her hand towards the seats.

"Girls, sit, please. I'm glad you're enjoying the food." The Queen hid a giggle as the crimson faced girls plopped down on their chairs.

"Well, thank you for the delicious meal, Your Highness," Kairi offered, smiling gratefully.

Minnie nodded, still smiling as she poked her fork into her breakfast. Mickey chuckled as the breakfast continued with an air of awkwardness.

***

Somewhere far away from the pleasant world of Disney Castle, another world stood in ruin, barely alive. On that world lived one person; a young woman.

In a barren castle, where the walls crumbled with the slightest sound, that young woman slept peacefully, knowing nothing of her dead surroundings.

The dark sky outside painted her room in eerie shadows that crept around, but the young woman paid no mind. She had grown used to the shadows and the silence.

Her chest rose and fell softly. It almost seemed as if nothing could awaken her. All of a sudden, however, a piercing throb ran through the young woman's chest, making her bolt up in pain.

Heavy pants poured out of her mouth, her cerulean eyes wide and fearful. Her fist clenched the fabric of her dress tightly. Her knuckles began to whiten before her breathing evened.

The young woman stood up and paced across the deteriorated room, stopping at the gaping hole in the wall and glaring at the midnight sky. Another thing she had grown used to was that, the always black sky. Her world had never seen another bright day since it's downfall. She sighed, gripping onto the gray bricks.

"Venus…"

***

"Venus!"

The blonde cringed at the high pitched voice and turned around, smiling softly. "Yes, Artemis?"

Artemis had her fists balled and pout pushing her lips out. Instead of her usual attire, she wore a knee-length sun dress. "Vee…do I have to wear this? And in front of all the people too!?" she whined, pulling at the flimsy material.

"You look good in it! So, stop complaining and help me out over here," Kairi said, saving Venus from that conversation. The young warrior moaned and trudged over to the princess.

Venus stifled a giggle and spun around to face the mirror. She smoothed out the wrinkles from her blue sun dress and adjusted her pony tail.

"Stop fussin' Vee. Theron'll think your beautiful anyways," Artemis sneered, finishing the last braid for Princess Kairi. Venus blushed madly, hiding her face with her hands.

"Arty! T-that's…I wasn't…!" Venus, a blubbering mess, sniffed and stomped out of the room.

Artemis glanced at the princess as she combed her own hair. "Uh…I was kidding."

Outside of the girls room, Venus had crumpled to the floor, becoming an overemotional mess. Tears streamed down her red face, her hands furiously wiping them away.

"Why am I crying? I'm pathetic…" Venus mumbled, placing her head between her knees.

"You're not pathetic."

Doe eyes peered up at the familiar voice, fresh tears starting to well up. Venus wiped them away before they could fall and embarrass her more. Her lip quivered as she struggled to stand up.

"Theron…why are you here? Shouldn't you be helping Sora and Riku get ready for the party…?" Venus hid her face with her bangs, sniffling loudly.

"They're big boys, they can take care of themselves. So, why are you crying? Artemis?" Theron leaned against the wall casually, hands stuffed in his pockets. Venus looked up at him before bashfully looking away.

"It…it wasn't her fault. She didn't mean to make me cry. She was joking around," she said, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

Theron nodded to himself, stealing a glance at Venus. He frowned. "Yeah well…don't let her get to you, Vee."

Venus looked up and smiled. She nodded. "Right." Theron grinned, ruffling her hair and going to walk away.

"Oh, Theron! Wait!" Venus jogged up after him, catching his arm.

"Yeah?"

"Well…Kairi's in good hands, and the boys are fine. You wanna go 'secure the perimeter'?" Venus giggled, using little air quotes. Theron chuckled.

"Yeah, sure."

***

The castle was buzzing with excitement. All of the world's inhabitants came to join in on the party. The courtyard consisted of many games and fun rides for the young ones. Inside in the throne room, the adults mingled, chatting and laughing. All of the guests arrived on time. Everything was going well.

"Man, I can't wait to see everyone again!" Sora grinned and swung his hand in Kairi's. Kairi giggled and Riku nodded.

"Yeah, I miss Aerith and Cloud," Kairi said, remembering her time in Traverse Town.

Behind the trio Artemis, Venus and Theron followed, watching for anything suspicious.

"I wonder if there's cake…" Artemis thought aloud. Theron elbowed her. "Stop thinking of food," he grumbled. Artemis sighed and shrugged, "I'll try. Key word: try."

Venus giggled lightly, earning a wink from Artemis.

"Sora!"

Sora's head snapped up. Laughter erupted from the young keyblade master as he sprinted forward, unknowingly dragging Kairi behind him.

"Yo, Sora," Riku ran after them, trying not to laugh at Kairi's startled yelp. A frowned crawled onto Artemis's face. "Dammit. Let's go, guys." She started off after Sora, followed closely by her team.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora shouted, waving with his free hand. Goofy and Donald jumped with shouts of delight, crashing down on Sora and Kairi.

Artemis slid to a halt, cringing. "Ouch… Vee, go check if Kairi's okay." Venus nodded and jogged over to the dog pile.

"Princess Kairi?" she asked meekly.

Another round of laughter exploded, frightening the poor blonde out of her skin.

Donald and Goofy lay on top of Sora and Kairi, hugging them tightly.

The friends all laughed and greeted each other warmly.

"Good to see you, too, Goofy," Kairi smiled brightly, taking the hand Goofy offered her. He hoisted her back up to her feet. Sora stood himself up, scratching his naturally spiked hair.

"This is so fun! It's too bad we're gonna have to go after the party." Sora frowned slightly.

"Sora! No frowning!" Donald wagged a feathery finger in Sora's surprised face. He laughed, letting a wide smile spread across his face.

"Man, you look like such a dork when you do that." Riku gently punched Sora on his shoulder, smirking slightly.

"Oh, Riku, hi," Donald and Goofy said in unison, waving cheerily. Riku waved back, less cheerily, of course.

"Oh! Guys, I want you to meet some people." Sora moved to the side, letting his friends finally see who was behind them.

Artemis beamed at them, waving enthusiastically. Venus waved shyly while Theron merely nodded.

"Right, this is Artemis, Venus and Theron. They escorted us here." Sora smiled at his friends.

"Nice to meet ya," Goofy grinned goofily(A/N:LOL). Donald quacked, irritated, "Come on, let's get to the party."

The group nodded in agreement, and walked together to the throne room.

***

More greetings were said in the throne room as the group caught up with their friends. Cloud and his group had got to Sora first, showering them with hello's and how are you's.

This continued for a while, before Riku wandered away from the group, going to the punch stand. Artemis followed discreetly, making sure the Keyblade Master's friend was in no harm. She took her job quite seriously.

She crept behind a pillar, keeping a close eye on the boy as she ninja rolled to the next pillar.

Unbeknownst to the sneaky white haired girl, Riku was quite aware of her trailing him. He sighed to himself as he sipped from his juice box. "Artemis."

Artemis stopped dead in her tracks behind the massive pillar, sucking in her breath as she pretended she was invisible. There's no way he can see me! I'm ninja!

"I can see your skirt from behind the pillar," Riku droned, taking another sip from his juice box.

Artemis tip toed around the pillar, facing Riku. "I was doing my job," she said strongly.

"Mhm, I'm sure you were. You wanna ditch this and go outside? I saw some rides out there when we were in the hall." Riku chucked his juice box in the trash, narrowly missing Yuffi.

"Will Sora mind?" Artemis asked, although she honestly didn't care at the moment. Rides won over being a leader as of right now.

"Nah, he's with Kairi and everyone, he won't even notice. Come on." Riku motioned for her to follow, which she did. The two left the throne room without being noticed. They bounded down the steps to the courtyard and swung open the secret door.

"Uwaahh!" Artemis was overjoyed by the roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, games and the ferris wheel.

Artemis swooned, "This is awesome! Come on!" She snatched Riku's hand and dragged him to the closest ride without giving him time to respond.

***

After going on the roller coaster twice, throwing up once, fooling around on the merry-go-round, and eating as much food as possible, Artemis and Riku stepped onto the ferris wheel.

"I've never been on one of these before," Artemis mentioned as the metal bar came down and fastened itself.

"Really? Huh." Riku shrugged. The ride began, starting with a jolt, and they were off.

As they got towards the top of the circle, Riku compulsively grabbed the bar and started shaking it around. Artemis snapped her eyes to him, for a moment worried. His face was twisted in mock horror, disturbed. She cracked a grin.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!" he shouted, beginning to swing the seat back and forth.

Artemis joined in screaming with him, waving her arms in the air. She slumped down against the wall of the seat. "I'm dead," she whispered, just so he would know.

He glanced down at her and they shot each other winks. He continued to have a seizure until they neared the bottom, when he dropped down with his head resting on her shoulder, also playing dead.

When the ride came to a stop, the attendants took in the image of two teenagers passed out in the seat. The woman twitched and the man coughed nervously.

Artemis bolted up so quickly that Riku's head cracked against the seat, screaming, "I'm ALIVE!" He laughed spastically, clutching his stomach, then darted along behind her as she sprinted back across the lawn for the throne room, cackling madly.

***

Back on the desolate world, the young woman had moved from her chambers into the decrepit library. The books, as dusty as they were, provided her with something to do. Now, they provided her with the knowledge she would need in order to stop other world's from becoming like her own.

Her delicate fingers skimmed through hundreds of pages until finally, a delighted laugh escaped her parched mouth.

"Found it. Now, let's see…ah! Here you are," the young woman grinned marvelously at the book. Her eyes quickly read over the text, memorizing it.

A sharp cry echoed throughout the castle. Loose bricks and furniture fell crashing, making more noise than the young woman was used to. She shut the large book, stuffing it in a near by bag of hers. She stood defensively. Her narrowed eyes closes in on a moving figure.

The figure was short and round with little antennae like tendrils on it's head. The young woman immediately recognized what the creature was.

"No…heartless." The woman snatched her bag, running for the stairs to her chamber. The heartless fell back into the shadows, crawling after her.

"I thought I had more time. Dammit," the young woman cursed, slamming open her door. She clutched her chest and breathed deeply. She could practically smell the darkness getting closer and closer.

As the single heartless crept under the door of the young woman's chambers, a blinding light showered the room, casting the little heartless away. As the light dimmed, the young woman was no longer there.

***

The sun was already starting to set as Riku and Artemis returned to the throne room. Venus and Theron stood by the door. Theron glared at Artemis as Venus went to catch up with them.

"Where did you go?" the blonde asked curiously. Artemis chuckled, elbowing Riku.

"Heh, we were outside in the courtyard, having fun," she said, winking at Riku. He smiled and nodded.

"Oh…Princess Kairi was worried," Venus muttered. Riku shrugged, "Why would she be worried. Silly little girl."

"I'm not silly or little."

Riku smirked at the young princess. "Whatever helps you to sleep at night." Kairi pouted and crossed her arms. Sora, who stood next to her, sighed. "Let's go sit and eat, hm?" he offered to the group.

Riku and Artemis turned pale. Venus glanced at them and tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, we ate already." Artemis tried to hide the disgusted expression that was slowly making it's way on her face. Riku nodded slowly, caressing his stomach.

"Oh…kaayyy." Sora tugged Kairi to a table after curiously eyeing Artemis and Riku. Venus and Theron followed, sitting on the other side of the couple.

"I'm never eating that much again…" Artemis mumbled to herself, taking a seat next to Venus. Riku sat opposite her, nodding in agreement.

A tiny cling sounded throughout the room, gaining everyone's attention.

Everyone's gaze went straight to the throne where the king sat pleasantly. "Please, sit down and eat!" the King smiled widely. The guests all took their seats at the two long tables and dug in.

"This is going much better then breakfast, huh?" Theron sneered. Artemis picked her head up and stuck her tongue out at them while the rest of the group laughed.

Once the feast was over and the tables were moved to the side, the band started up. The floor was full of dancing and happiness.

Kairi spun in a circle before Sora pulled her back in. The two continued their romantic dance as Riku gagged. The only ones not dancing, of course, were Riku, Artemis, Theron and Venus. Theron and Venus took the excuse that they were 'watching the perimeter', otherwise known as taking a stroll outside the nearly abandoned courtyard. Artemis was feeling sick from all the food she consumed, and Riku didn't dance. Period.

"Why do you always do that when they do something couple-y?" Artemis asked, looking up at the silver haired boy.

"It's gross. Public displays of affection should be illegal," Riku said simply, gagging again as the music began to slow. "Aw, great. Now everyone will start being mushy!"

Artemis rolled her eyes at the typical boy reaction to love. A flicker of bright light near the throne caught her eye. King Mickey, Donald and Goofy stood up there, laughing about whatever. The light flickered again.

"Riku…do you see that light? Up by the throne." Artemis pointed, showing him where. He looked and grimaced.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"I don't know." Artemis narrowed her eyes as her lips became a thin line. A deep feeling in her gut told her that whatever that light was, it wasn't good.

The little flicker suddenly exploded into a intense glare, shocking everyone. Startled gasps and screams was all Artemis could here as she knocked over her chair.

"Riku!" she yelled, trying to shield her eyes from the onslaught of brightness. Her first instinct was to get to Sora and Kairi, but she needed to know where Riku was. A cold hand grasped hers and pulled her into the crowd of scared people.

Before the two of them could get to Sora and Kairi, the light disappeared.

As her eyes adjusted, Artemis found Sora and Kairi, and ran over to them. "You guys okay?" Riku asked, coming up from behind Artemis.

Sora nodded, slightly disoriented. "What was that?" he asked, alarmed. Venus had her arm around Kairi, a firm look etched on her face.

Theron pointed over Sora's head, by the throne. "Look!"

The group turned to see a crumpled mass. It looked to be a young woman with fair blonde hair. The King stood close to her, as well as Donald and Goofy.

Without warning the young woman bolted up, gasping for air. Her eyes searched around frantically, analyzing the strangers' faces. Her eyes came upon Sora's and a ghost of a smile spread across her pale lips.

"I…made it. Ha," the young woman laughed weakly. The King kneeled next to her, placing his large hand over hers.

"Miss?" he asked kindly. The blonde lifted her head. "Oh…ah! They're coming," the young woman clutched the King's hand tightly, sitting herself up.

"Who's coming?" the King's face twisted into confusion. Sora and the group had come up and stood behind him, watching carefully.

"The heartless."


	10. Hello Princess

**Author's Note: Alright. I'm sorry. Really, there's no good excuse…besides I've been having issues with school. But you don't care! Because you get excuses from authors all the time complaining about their personal life. So..yeah, sorry. I worked all night on this, and it's not fantastic, but it's something and gives a lot more insight into what's actually going on now. So I apologize for the lack of quality in this chapter. I'll work harder on the next one. Also, some Birth By Sleep spoilers later on, so, just warning ya, incase you didn't wanna be spoiled about ANYTHING for the game. And speaking of BbS, this story is based on a lot of it, so obviously, things are gonna be wrong since the game hasn't come out and we don't know how it ends! So yeah, sorry for that too. And this author's note is getting pretttyyy long…Sit back, relax, and enjoy! (and review :D!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Kingdom Hearts. ..Well except like, the video games, but they aren't mine! You get what I mean. Go read.**

***

The young woman glanced around as the crowd began to grow. Feeling a little self conscious, she shied away into the corner, the mysterious book still held tightly in her grip. Many faces appeared before her. How was she suppose to cope? With a feeling of being watched, she turned to stare at the timid blonde standing behind the others. Her eyes filled with curiosity.

She looked just like her. Could it be? Perhaps…

"Everyone, clear a path, let's get her somewhere with less people…"

Startled by the sudden boom of a voice, the woman jumped. She stared at the tall, brown haired man.

"Good thinking, Leon." Another woman, with a long braid, commented, smiling softly at the young woman. The King gently pulled the girl up as the guests cleared a straight path to the throne room door. On either side of her was an unfamiliar face with smiles that hid an insecurity. She sighed, still clutching the old book to her chest.

***

Once situated in the library, the questions began.

"Miss, how did you get here?" Sora asked kindly, offering a grin. Kairi smiled reassuringly as well, and Riku stared skeptically, standing in front of Kairi slightly in a protective manner.

The young woman smiled hesitantly back. Although comforted by the presence of other living people, it still unnerved her. How was she supposed to act? She had been alone for most of her life.

"Uhm," her voice cracked, "this book…I used the power of light to bring me to the Keyblade Master." She stroked the old, leather bound book, gazing at it with a grateful smile.

"Uh huh. So why did you wanna see Sora anyway?" Leon questioned her, arms crossed. Cloud spared a glance at the woman, curious to the answer. Aerith sighed and Yuffi punched Leon in the shoulder.

"Jeez, don't be so rude, _Squall_." Leon shot her a look before going back to the young woman.

"Oh, well, it's an emergency…The worlds are in danger and the heartless are coming. Darkness is once again consuming the hearts of people at an alarming rate. The Keyblade Master is need," The young woman addressed Sora, the smile gone from her face.

At once, everyone stood at attention. Sora, wide eyes and gaping mouth, sputtered, "W-what!? That's impossible. Who could be controlling them _this time?_ Everyone's gone!"

Kairi grasped Sora's fisted hand in an attempt to calm him down, but it was useless, as her own hand was shaking in fear.

Riku glowered at the tiled floor, fists balled at his side. He gritted his teeth. "How could this happen. How do you even know this?" he asked venomously.

"Riku…" Kairi whispered, shocked by the menacing tone of his voice.

Artemis, Venus and Theron exchanged worried glances between each other before focusing on the girl in the spotlight.

"I…I'm the caretaker of this book. I just know what's going on, since it happened to my world. I needed to tell the Keyblade Master so other worlds wouldn't turn out like mine," The young woman answered, glaring back at the silvered haired boy in front of her.

"Uh, if I may…"Artemis cleared her throat, reminding the rest of the crew she and the others were still there. "What's your name?"

The young woman looked baffled, before letting out a soft chuckle. "Adelynn. Princess Adelynn."

A gasp from the corner of the room. Every pair of eyes turned. Venus was pale as a ghost, shaking in her sandals. Her hand flew up to her mouth to cover it as her eyes doubled in size.

"Adelynn…?" Tears began to stream down her face.

"I knew it was you…Venus." Adelynn stood up, placing the large book on the desk. Venus ran up to her, nearly knocking the poor girl over in her embrace.

"Sister…" Venus cried into Adelynn's shoulder. Adelynn smiled sadly, consoling the young girl.

Artemis, completely confused, let her mouth drop. She was pretty sure everyone else in the room was thinking the same thing she was. "_**SISTER?"**_

Theron swiftly punched Artemis in the shoulder. "OW! Oh, come on, pinky, you all were thinking the SAME thing!" Artemis pointed her finger accusingly at everyone in the room, except the King, Sora and Kairi.

"Are there any more questions?" Adelynn asked. Venus had quieted down and sidled to Theron's side as her sister took her seat.

"Yeah," Riku said firmly. The King looked at him worriedly. He didn't want the boy to snap at the poor girl.

"Riku, how about we give her some time with her sister, hm?" King Mickey offered, smiling brightly at the silver haired boy. Riku, not up to fighting with the King, huffed and stalked out of the room.

"Uh, I'll go follow him," Artemis said, waving a quick goodbye to her friends and following Riku out the door.

"We'll go back to the party and make sure everyone's still ok," Leon said, heading out with Yuffie, Cloud and Aerith following suit.

Sora hesitated before grabbing Kairi's hand and leading her out of the library. Kairi spared a glance behind her shoulder at Adelynn, who merely smiled with a slight nod of her head. Perplexed by the action, Kairi quirked a brow just as the library door shut with a soft _click._

"If you want me to go…" Theron scratched the back of his head as he stared at the ground.

"Uhm, if you wouldn't mind…" Venus murmured, fiddling with her ponytail.

Theron nodded to himself and left the two sisters alone with the King close behind him.

"Welp, you girls can catch up now, I'm sure you have a lot to say to each other!" The King smiled and chuckled, leaving with Goofy and Donald who offered smiles of their own.

***

Silence rained down on the two siblings. Neither one spoke. Venus, unnerved by the silence, played with the hem of her dress in an attempt to calm herself down. Adelynn noticed and sighed through her nose.

"Still have that habit, huh?"

Venus looked up and sheepishly smiled. "Yes. I can't help it," she mumbled. Adelynn nodded knowingly.

"Venus, I'm sure you're dieing to know why we were separated all those years ago…" Adelynn started, scooting closer to her sister.

Venus shyly nodded. "I only remember a few things…the heartless and that witch, but that's it."

Adelynn put on a grim expression, preparing to relive the past. "Venus, ten years ago, our world, Amethyst, was attacked by the heartless. They were led by an evil witch, who wished to control Kingdom Hearts. I don't know if you remember this or not, but our world held books that contained secrets to Kingdom Hearts, and that was what she was after."

Venus tilted her head, trying to remember. Adelynn continued, "Almost all of our people lost their hearts, Venus. I had tried my hardest to save them, but there were too many. So," Adelynn inhaled deeply and folded her hands in her lap, "I sent you away, to another world where you would be safe. You see, being the caretaker of the library back on our world in our castle allowed me access to all of the books, all of the secrets."

At this point Venus was on the edge of her seat, a mix of emotions playing with her face.

"I had studied the old magic before we were…attacked. So after I sent you away, I managed to seal up the castle with one of the spells. It worked, and the witch left our world, finding it pointless. But now…"

"I don't understand though. If you know everything about Kingdom Hearts, how come you didn't help Sora before this? Why didn't you help from the very beginning, when that Ansem wanted to have Kingdom Hearts? Why?" Venus bit her lip and grabbed a fistful of her dress.

Surprised by her little sister's outburst, the princess frowned. "I hadn't learned everything yet. Even if I could have transported myself to the Keyblade Master, I would have been no help. I didn't know what I know now two years ago, Venus."

Defeated, Venus slumped in her chair. "So…now what? What do we do?"

"We stop this, once and for all."

Venus, lifted by her sister's determination, grinned. "Yeah. Oh, I have one more question…why did you send me to The Land of Departure and to Master Eraqus?"

Adelynn, never one to lie, laughed nervously. "Heh, that was completely random. I had no control of where you went. I just made sure it was someplace where darkness hadn't consumed. But, I guess it worked out pretty well. You are a keyblade apprentice, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, how did you know?" Venus, once again confused by her sister's knowledge, felt somewhat see-through.

"Well, that emblem on your belt. It looks awfully familiar. I believe I saw it in one of my texts. I remember it having to do with the three keyblade apprentices." Adelynn shrugged, patting her book respectfully.

"Not to mention…I knew you had something special in you that I lacked. You'll be a great part of what's to come, Venus," Adelynn said, grabbing her sister's hand and squeezing it. Venus furrowed her brows, not quite understanding, but nodding all the same.

On the opposite side of the door, Theron stood wide eyed and speechless.

***

"Sora…calm down, please." Kairi frowned at her boyfriend. Sora hadn't stopped pacing since they arrived at her room. She sat on her bed, nervously watching him go back and forth, mumbling obscene things. He turned at her, eyes ablaze.

"I can't Kairi! The heartless are back and that means I have to go stop them again." Sora paused, regretting snapping at her and sighed, covering his face in his hands.

"Sora…" Kairi walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him gently. "It'll be ok."

Sora shook his head as he returned the embrace. "No, Kairi. I'll have to leave you again."

Kairi winced. She knew he would say that. That was most likely the thing bothering him this whole time. She knew it was bothering her the whole time. But she wouldn't let him go alone, not if she could help it.

She pulled back, looking deeply into her love's blue eyes. "I'm coming with you this time, no matter what." she said with determination laced in her words.

Sora shook his head. "No, you could get hurt, and I won't let that happen," he refused stubbornly, grabbing Kairi by the shoulders. She frowned, but didn't give up.

"I can defend myself! I won't be a bother to you or Riku or anyone else. I'll learn how to fight." Her arms dropped to her side and her hands balled into fists. "Artemis will teach me. I will not just watch you go and wait for you again." Tears pricked at the princess's eyes as she recalled that lonely year waiting for her friends to return.

Sora, conflicted, sighed and leaned his forehead against Kairi's. "You're really brave, you know that?" he whispered to her as his fingers intertwined with hers. She let out a shaky giggle.

"Yeah, I know."

***

The full moon was overhead by now, illuminating the courtyard with a radiant glow. By now the rides have been taken down, the children retreated to the throne room, and the occasional broom would go by, sweeping the path.

Riku sat atop a square bush, pensively staring at the clear night sky. The stars twinkled, and one, Riku noticed, blinked out. His eye's narrowed even further. They were already too late.

"Isn't it a bit cold out here?"

Riku snapped out of his thoughts and looked down. Artemis looked up at him, smiling softly. Riku shrugged his shoulders and returned his gaze to the dark blue sky.

Artemis's smile fell. She hopped up onto the bush, sitting next to him. She felt him tense as her leg brushed against his own. Heat rose to her cheeks, but she chose to ignore it.

"So, why are you all pissy?" she started, examining his expression. The corner of his mouth pulled down and his eyes narrowed into little slits. She was not shocked, nor unnerved by this response, instead pleased. She smiled to herself, glad that he responded as expected to her prodding.

"You know, what the Princess said, I'm sure it's not really that bad. Plus, what's wrong with another adventure, hm?" The white haired warrior swung her legs back and forth, staring inquisitively at the young keyblade master.

Riku glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "That's not the point. We were supposed to have finished all of this. Now…it's starting all over. I wonder if it will ever end," Riku whispered the last part to himself. He leaned back and rested on his elbows.

Artemis pondered this for a moment before responding. Her forefinger and thumb stroked her invisible beard. "Well, it's not like all your efforts were for nothing," she offered, stilling thinking to herself.

Riku scoffed, "Yeah? Then tell me why this is happening again?" He looked up at her. The moonlight enhanced her features beautifully. Her hair glowed almost and her eyes sparkled with a fiery spirit. Riku wondered if she had looked like this all the time, or if it was just the fact that he was tired and frustrated. He decided to push the thoughts aside once she started talking again.

"Because, Riku," she tilted her head up, letting her bangs fall to the side. "Darkness will never go away. Light and Darkness, those two things that bring destruction and hope, can't get rid of them. Everyone has darkness in their hearts, it's just up to that person to control it. Well, actually, Kairi and the other Princess's of Heart don't have darkness. Heh," Artemis laughed softly.

"But, what I'm saying is, the world was created with both of those things. It's up to us to decide whether or not we use the light in our hearts, or the darkness, you know? That dude Ansem, he chose darkness over light. It's all up to us."

Artemis shrugged, hoping she got something through to the thick headed boy. "It's just hard to explain, but I believe one day you and Sora, and me, Vee and Theron, won't have to use the keyblade anymore. One day." She let her eyes close and smiled.

Riku let her words sink in. He understood where she was going and what she meant, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that it didn't have to be like this. For now, though, he dropped it and sat upright. He let his arm drape around Artemis's shoulders, earning a small yelp.

She whirled her head around to see him. His expression was serene and peaceful. "Thanks Artemis," he said in a hushed tone that only she could hear before he hopped off the bush and returned to the castle.

Artemis sat there alone for a moment before huffing and crossing her arms.

"Weird boy."


	11. Just Smile And Nod

**A/N: I'm not even going to apologize for being late. Because 12 pages makes up for it. At least, I think so. Enjoy while I try to get the feeling back in my fingers.**

**DISCLAIMER: No. Kh not belong to me. Belong to Nomura. Bah.**

There's something not right with this whole heartless thing. After a few times putting the worlds back together and destroying the nobodies and the heartless it all should have ended. And a few things still bother me. If there are three apprentices now, then how come Sora, me and possibly Kairi did not have any knowledge of that. And whose to say that there's not more of them out there?

Another thing. That princess named Adelynn, she knows more than she's letting on and I have to find out the truth.

The memory of Artemis's blush passed through my mind without permission. That girl is strong as well and might pose a threat but her whole being is just calming and filled with innocence. I can feel that there's a dark past to her though, to all of them.

As I stepped out of the garden, I came face to face with my two friends, ending my meaningless thoughts.

"Riku!" Kairi, always smiling, waved at me and gestured me towards Sora and her. I picked up my pace, jogging slightly to meet them at the middle of the hall.

"Yeah? What did you guys talk about?" I eyed Sora specifically. Even though I had a pretty good idea what they discussed, I wanted to make sure Sora was ok with it.

"I'm coming with you two this time, if you leave that is." Kairi chirped, standing her ground. She had an air about her. Confidence was written on her face, along with determination and just a hint of stubbornness. I sighed.

Sora looked mildly defeated. He had probably already tried to convince her it was a mistake, but oh well. She was going to do what she wanted to, whether or not we thought it was a good idea.

"Alright, just don't get in the way," I teased playfully. She pouted and crossed her arms like she always does. Sora sighed and scratched the back of his neck. I knew that, unfortunately, that was what he was worried about the most. Her getting hurt.

"Ah, Artemis!" Kairi pushed passed me, catching me off guard. I quickly whipped around to see her sprinting towards that white haired nightmare. Artemis was just as caught off guard as I was when Kairi nearly tackled her.

"What's with her?" I glanced back at Sora. He shrugged.

"Dunno. Guess it's important though." I nodded in agreement as we watched the two girls chat enthusiastically over something. Well, it was more like Kairi was doing most of the chatting. Artemis was simply staring. At Sora. Why the hell is she looking at him? Is her eye twitching?

"AHHH!" Artemis crumbled to the ground. Poor Kairi, must have overwhelmed the little thing.

"Arty…?" Kairi, eyes as wide as a doe, poked the shaking form on the ground.

"No! I refuse!" Artemis said. Refuse? Refuse what?

"Oh, come on, Artemis! Why not!? You already said you would!!" Kairi plopped down, poking her victim.

"No! He'll kill me if you get hurt, so I refuse!"

Oh. I see. Sighing, I tugged an unwilling Sora along towards the girls. "Sora, tell her you won't kill her, otherwise she won't train me!" Kairi pleaded with puppy dog eyes. That's foul, she knows Sora's a sucker for those eyes.

Sora shifted nervously, obviously not wanting to say no, but certainly not wanting to say yes. How conflicting. See, this is why love is overrated.

"Dude, she'll be fine," I offered, just to get this show on the road. Sora looked at me helplessly.

"But…Kairi, really you don't have to fight," Sora tried convincing her, but she wasn't hearing it.

"No! I am not just going to stand around and be helpless! If I'm going, I'm going to contribute."

Sora looked defeated and sighed loudly. "This wouldn't be an issue if you would just stay here…" he mumbled to himself, though I could hear it. He was right though. But the princess was gonna get her way, somehow.

"Sora, please." Oh, no. The mushy, sentimental crap. I tuned out as the lovebirds had their little thing with the looking at each other and knowing what the other is thinking without talking. How do they do that?

"Ugh, fine. Artemis, make sure she doesn't get hurt. I guess it'll be good if you learn how to fight since you insist on coming with us…" Sora sighed, obviously regretting what he said as he hoisted Kairi up.

Artemis, no longer scared for her life, came, well, back to life. "Well, if you say so! Don't worry, Sora, Kairi's in good hands!" She mock saluted before marching on ahead.

I don't know why, but I have the feeling this adventure is going to be one hell of a long one.

***

After that little charade, we managed to get to the Library and discuss our plans. Theron came in after us with Goofy and Donald, looking a little touchy. Wonder what's up with him.

"So, Princess Adelynn," the King began, addressing the young woman sitting at his desk, "I'd greatly appreciate it if you shared what you know with us, to give us a better understanding." King Mickey, as cheerful as always, smiled brightly at the girl to make her feel more comfortable.

Something about that girl worried me. She had this air about her, like a mysterious aura. It was like a cloud of confusion surrounding her.

"Of course. In this book is the remaining history of the keyblade and anything related to it, which includes Kingdom Hearts. There are seven objects, all corresponding with an important part of what makes us. The heart, soul, and memories." She paused for a moment to let the information sink in. But why would she know this? She said she was the caretaker or whatever for that book, but who said so?

"The objects are on separate worlds, that I unfortunately know not the location of. I was told that I would know the right world from a, well, sixth sense if you will. However I do not know if this is true," Adelynn's voice dropped for a moment with fear. She recomposed herself and started again.

"What I do know for sure is that the Keyblade Master is a key part of saving the worlds and Kingdom Hearts." Her eyes flickered for a second before she glanced at Sora and…Kairi?

"So what you're saying is that we got to find these objects, which could be anywhere, and do what exactly?" I questioned her. Adelynn eyed me calmly. It felt like she was picking through my heart. A chill ran up my spine and I shuddered.

"I was about to get to that. Once all seven objects are collected we must seal Kingdom Hearts once and for all."

And the gasps ensued. "Seal it, forever? Like, it will never open again? No baddies can get to it?" Artemis blabbed, jumping forward. Her eyes were like saucers, wide in amazement.

"It is what I've been told," Adelynn said, nodding slightly. She was overwhelmed by Arty's exuberance, I could tell. She had the same look Kairi did when we first met the three apprentices.

"So that means we won't have to use the keyblade?" Sora asked, leaning forward in his seat. I quirked my brow, equally curious.

"Perhaps. However, as long as there is darkness in people's hearts, there will always be a need for the keyblade," Adelynn stated firmly, as if reciting a mantra. She nodded her head for extra insurance.

"Yeah, yeah, but if there's no access to Kingdom Hearts, the baddies will have nothing to gain, right? Which means! The heartless won't be controlled by anybody and there won't be like, any nobodies, right? So then, there technically is no use for a keyblade!" Artemis was bouncing up and down. For someone that wanted to be a Keyblade Master, she sure seemed happy to get rid of it.

"Well, yes, I guess," Adelynn faltered and leaned back in her chair. I glanced over at the King. He looked serious, a look that didn't often adorn his face.

"So, let's go kick heartless butt, go to some world's and find these object things!" A grin spread across Sora's face.

"Arty…why are you happy to let the keyblade go?" Venus piped up, looking at Artemis like she had five heads. That's how I look at her all the time.

"Well, I mean, I love the keyblade and stuff, but you know, love and peace all the way." Artemis pounded her chest with her fist and made a peace sign.

Ok, moving on. "Yeeeaaah, so, where should we go first?"

"Um, the closet world to here?" Sora shrugged and looked to King Mickey for the answer.

"Ah ha, well, I guess that would be a good idea. Try to find some leads!" The King chuckled his trademark laugh and threw his hands up.

"Sounds good to me, let's head out tomorrow afternoon. We need some rest." Sora took charge and resumed his place as leader. Everyone was in agreement.

"Finally! I was gonna fall asleep soon," Artemis whined as she carried herself out of the Library with Venus following close behind.

"Um."

As if we were all one person, "Huh?"

"Where shall I sleep?" Adelynn asked, raising her hand as if she was in school or something.

"With us, silly!" Artemis said like it was obvious. She went back to drag Adelynn back to the girl's room.

"Poor girl," I muttered.

"Oh stop it Riku." Kairi giggled lightly as she passed by me. "Well, I better go catch up with them. Goodnight boys!" Kairi pecked Sora on the lips (Ew) and pecked me on the cheek. Sora waved goodbye with that lovey dovey look in his eyes. I sighed and muttered a 'g'night' as she left the room.

Theron, who somehow managed to be invisible the whole time, crept up behind us. "So, let's head back?"

Sora jumped and whirled around, probably having a heart attack. "Wha- oh…Theron. I forgot you were there. Uh, yeah, let's go." Sora turned around and headed for the exit. We followed and in no time we were in our room, hitting the hay. Figuratively, of course.

***

Morning came fast. Too fast. Bright sunlight shone through the window, blinding Artemis. The girl rolled over and moaned, stuffing her face in the pillow. Someone shook her shoulder, gently at first, then getting rougher as she refused to acknowledge it.

Kairi glared down at her soon to be mentor. Venus giggled behind her. She had warned Kairi that Artemis was a tough cookie to wake up.

"Artemis! Wake up!" Kairi shouted, shaking the girl's shoulder. Artemis rolled onto her back and stared up at Kairi with dull eyes.

"Unless the world is being sucked into a black hole, I really don't care, Princess." With that said, Artemis rolled back on her side, facing the window with her head under the covers.

Kairi, shocked, stepped back. She scoffed, "She's so impossible! How do you manage with her?" Venus smiled knowingly before going to Artemis's side.

"Arty, you have three seconds before experiencing immense pain," Venus chirped. Kairi was even more shocked now. Princess Adelynn, who had been observing the spectacle from afar, chuckled to herself.

"Oh, shut it…" Artemis mumbled in her half awake state. Venus sighed a short sigh before flexing her hand. In a puff of white smoke her keyblade, The Wandering Cloud, appeared in her hand.

"Vee, what are you doing?!" Kairi reached for her arm and pulled her back. Her eyes were wild with fear.

"It's ok, trust me," Venus smiled and removed the red head's grip on her arm. Returning back to Artemis, Venus grimaced. "Sorry, Arty."

"_Thunder._"

A short burst of lightening crashed down on Artemis, sending her jolting up in the air. Kairi cringed and backed away. Adelynn pinched the bridge of her nose.

"WHAT THE FU-" Artemis howled in pain. Her hair stood on end, almost resembling Sora's wild spikes. The furious keyblade apprentice stared menacingly at Venus with her eyes in slits. "Was there absolutely no other way?" she hissed, feeling the occasional shock from the electricity.

"Mhm. You wouldn't wake up. It was the only way," Venus said, as if this was a normal thing. Kairi's jaw was practically on the floor.

"Well then, I suppose I won't kill you then." Artemis shrugged it off as she went straight to the bathroom. Venus nodded in acceptance, not taking the threat seriously and returned to Kairi's side.

"You just gotta know how to deal with her. It's really easy when you've spent pretty much your whole life with her," Venus said to Kairi. Kairi, not knowing what to say without having a minor freak out, nodded and kept her mouth closed.

***

For the boys, it was a much easier process of waking up. Like the day before, they had already been up before the girls, at the crack of dawn. They were out in the courtyard, enjoying the sun and soft breeze. Sora was getting pumped for the new journey that lie ahead as Riku and Theron sparred a bit.

Artemis had just walked out when the stench of sweaty men hit her nostrils like a ton of bricks. "Oh, ewwww." She pinched her nose and waved her hand in front of her face, trying desperately to get the wicked stench to go away.

"Deal with it," Riku snapped as he dodged a punch from Theron. Artemis huffed and tugged her friends to the opposite side of the courtyard where they would train. Adelynn sat atop a trimmed bush, opting to read her precious book while Venus and Artemis attempted to train Kairi.

"Alright, Kai, we'll start off with some basic stuff, kay?" Artemis cracked her knuckles and stretched. Kairi nodded enthusiastically.

"Ok. Let's start."

Kairi mimicked the stance Artemis got in to. Venus watched from the side, ready to heal when necessary.

"Alright, first, you always have to be aware of your surroundings and where your enemies are. You don't wanna back up into a corner, so try to keep moving around. And don't be a wimp! Take the offense!" Artemis pumped her fist. Venus face palmed.

"Sora doesn't want her getting hurt, remember?" she muttered, loud enough for Artemis to hear.

Kairi rolled her eyes at the mention of Sora while Artemis sighed and remembered. "Right, right. Ok, so you'll do defense then. Here, take this." Artemis picked up a staff from the ground and chucked it at Kairi. Kairi caught it easily enough and twirled it around, getting a feel for it.

"I figured a sword would be too dangerous. Don't want you accidentally cutting my head off, or yours!" Artemis laughed loudly. Sora, from the other side of the courtyard, glared at her, promptly shutting her up.

"Yeah, so uh, just try and block my attacks, kay?"

Kairi nodded, getting back into a defensive stance with her staff held in both hands. She bit her lip, trying to anticipate the attack. Artemis came from directly ahead, to make it easy, and aimed a kick at Kairi's side.

Kairi jumped back and tilted her staff as it caught the kick and pushed back with all of her strength, sending Artemis off balance.

"Good job, Kairi!" Venus cheered on. Adelynn clapped without picking up her head.

"Nice, now let's make things a bit harder, hm?" Artemis grinned a Cheshire cat grin.

Kairi barely noticed when Artemis started in a sprint towards her, zig-zagging. She came at her from the side this time, aiming for her neck this time. Artemis caught Kairi's eyes glance at her fearfully before her hand slapped Kairi upside the head.

"Ow…" Kairi rubbed the back of her head. Artemis looked at her disapprovingly. Sora, who had heard Kairi's expression of pain, sent another death glare Artemis's way. She ignored it for the moment.

"You aren't supposed to show fear to the enemy!" she scolded, walking back to her original spot. Kairi frowned, mad at herself for failing.

"I'm sorry. I'll try better." Kairi glared down at the grass as if was the reason she failed. Artemis tutted.

"No. You won't try. You _will _do better."

Kairi lifted her head up. Artemis smiled at her with pride. _That's right. I will do better. For Sora._ Kairi grinned and held her staff up, ready for the next move.

***

Once the physical part of the training was done, which surprisingly didn't take that long, Venus took over. Kairi took a five minute break before beginning her magic lesson by relaxing with Sora.

Adelynn sauntered up to the couple, observing them closely. Riku, who happened to be nearby resting, saw this and immediately hopped up.

"Hey, Princess."

Adelynn whipped her head towards him like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Y-yes? Riku, was it?"

"Yeah. What are you doing?" Riku asked, trying to be nonchalant, but his tone came off more hostile than he would have liked.

"Oh, just reading my book." She held up the old text to prove it. Riku nodded slowly.

"Alright. Why don't we walk around the courtyard. Get acquainted?" Riku suggested, if only to give his friends some privacy. Adelynn barely held back a scowl before consenting.

"Sora, I think I'm gonna really come in handy this time," Kairi beamed, kicking her legs back and forth from atop the bush. Sora, still not pleased with the idea of his love fighting beside him, placed his hand on hers.

"Kairi, I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want anything to happen to you. You've already been through so much." The emotion in his voice reached Kairi's core, shaking her out of her reverie. Sora's eyes were glued to their overlapping hands when she looked at him. Her heart wrenched.

"Sora," she whispered, cradling his cheek in her left hand. Sora gazed at her longingly, wishing she would just stay behind where she would be safe.

"I have not been through anything. It's you that's been through everything. I don't want to stand on the sidelines anymore and watch go away. I'm coming with you this time because I can't stand to be away from you." Kairi leaned her head against Sora's. It wasn't rare she comforted him like this, reassuring him that she was ok, and it was him she was worried about. Sora sighed, his sweet breath brushing across Kairi's lips as he reached his hand up to cup her cheek.

Slowly, savoring the moment, Kairi leaned forward, scarcely touching Sora's lips before Sora took control. His lips glided across Kairi's, making her gasp slightly before they moved in sync, molding to each other.

Sora's hand tilted Kairi's head to the side a bit, kissing her deeply, passionately, lovingly. Kairi ran her fingers through Sora's spiky locks, her nails gently scraping his scalp as he slid his tongue against her soft lips, eliciting a whimper.

"Er."

The couple snapped back to reality. Kairi's face turned the darkest shade of red Sora had ever seen as she buried her face in his shoulder from embarrassment. Sora looked to see who would have to beat up.

Venus stood below them. Her face was as red as Kairi's. Her blue eyes, which stood out against her flushed face, were downcast and her hands fumbled with her dress. She cleared her throat.

"Um, Donald wanted to get the lesson going. He's, um, getting impatient and would like you to hurry up." Venus finished by looking back towards Donald, who was hiding behind the entrance to the Gummi Hanger.

Sora could hear the duck snickering away at ruining his moment. Kairi lifted her head and hastily jumped down from the bush.

"Right, we shouldn't keep him waiting. Let's go." Venus went first, already itching to get out of there. Kairi hesitated for a moment before turning back to Sora.

Her face, although flushed, looked beautiful to him. Her lips, though slightly bruised, stretched into a smile of pure love. Sora more than happily returned the smile.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Kairi ran off to where Venus and Donald waited as Sora fell on to his back. His fingers grazed his lips. His eyes closed and a permanent smile set on his features.

***

"Kairi, magic is harder than physical fighting, so don't worry if you mess up the first couple of times," Venus said, giving Kairi her staff. Now that Kairi actually looked at it, it wasn't anything fancy. Just a simple, white staff with hearts engraved in it.

"So, the magic is gonna come out through here?" Kairi asked, waving around the staff.

"Yes. You're going to channel your magical energy into the staff and release it in short bursts, alright? Let's start with fire, it always seems to be the easiest," Venus murmured the last bit to herself as she set Kairi up in the right position.

"Don't forgot to concentrate! Don't get distracted!" Donald squawked, flailing his own staff around. Kairi nodded and a blush rose to her cheeks. _He just told you not to get distracted, Kai! _

"Kairi?" Venus poked the young princess in the side to get her attention.

"Oh, yeah Vee?" Kairi returned to the present, all thoughts about Sora pushed to the back of her mind. As hard as that might be.

"So, fire. It's hard to explain, but you have to search for it, deep within you. Once you have a lock on it, channel it to the staff." Venus's voice was soothing and smooth, her instructions easy to follow. Kairi closed her eyes and searched within herself.

A heat started to engulf her. _That must be it. The fire! _Her excitement got the best of her, and as she was trying to channel it into the staff, a burst of fire shot out from the end of it. Donald screeched and ducked just in time.

Kairi opened one eye to see Donald's back feathers scorched. "Oops."

Venus held in a giggle at Donald's murderous face, which no one could really take seriously.

"Mistakes are apart of learning," Venus said once she saw Kairi's saddened face. "Come on, try again."

Taking a deep breath, Kairi once again felt the warmth and proceeded to send it to the staff. Her hands tingled as the warmth passed through them.

"Alright, now slowly, release a small burst of fire. Keep it under control," Venus's said, coaxing Kairi in the right direction.

As she exhaled, she let a small bit of warmth leave her. She opened her eyes in time to see the tiny fireball sizzle before going out.

"I…did it?"

"You did it!" Venus clapped happily and hugged Kairi. Kairi, beyond happy, could only laugh and return the embrace.

***

The sun had fallen since the teenagers first went outside, now hanging in the middle of the sky and pouring it's heat on them relentlessly.

Artemis used Venus's hand as a fan. "Can we go yet? Let's go to a snowy world, that's really, really cold."

Venus, seemingly unperturbed by the heat, looked up to Theron, who was sweating gallons by the second. "I concur," he muttered.

"Alright, everyone, the Gummi Ship is all ready!" Chip bounced up and down while Dale spoke.

"FINALLY." Artemis hopped up and made a bee-line for the Gummi Hanger. Venus lifted herself up and followed with Theron behind her. Sora and Kairi went hand in hand and Riku went behind. Adelynn was the last of the group to enter the hanger.

"Sora, you remember how to work the Gummi controls?" Chip asked. Sora nodded exhaustedly. "Okay then, off you go!"

The group strapped themselves in to their seats. "Ready to go?"

"YES." Artemis groaned, letting her head fall.

"3...2...1. Lift off!" Chip and Dale slammed down on the big red button, sending our heroes off on their adventure.

**A/N: And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the fluff, I know I did. Heh…anyway! What world are they going to!? Will Sora and Kairi have more fluffy moments?! OR MORE!? Will Riku get a chance at love!? Will Venus stop being shy!?(No..) Will Theron appear more than twice next chapter!? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!**

**Theron: Are you effin' serious? 'I concur' and let's go to bed guys…that's IT?! Wtf. **

**Me: Sorry…**

**Theron: angry face/glare**

**Uh yeaaaah. Enough talking to myself! REVIEW!**


	12. I can't think of a good name for this

**A/N: OMG. A CHAPTER IS OUT ON TIME!?!? I know. It's weird. lol. Anyway, a little bit of progression with relationships for this chapter. Next one will be out in 2 weeks, as per usual. Please enjoy~ Um...what else..thanks a bunch for the reviews! x3**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. But you already know that.**

***

"Sora watch out for those rocks up ahead!" Kairi squealed as she clutched onto his shoulder while he was spinning the wheel around. It was obvious that Sora had not driven a Gummi ship for quite a while, since we nearly fell into a different dimension only 5 times. Well it was either him or Artemis and we all agreed unanimously that we don't want her to drive since she crashed the ship the last time. We knew that she would try to press a button again, so we kept her occupied with a box of cookies. The things that can occupy that kid, it's amazing. How she's the leader, I'll never know.

The ship (or should I say Charles?) tilted to the side hazardously. "Watch it Sora!" Riku shouted from the little kitchen thing. I could see Sora frown as he tried to avoid another asteroid.

"Theron?"

"Yes, Vee?" I looked down at the pale girl. She was clutching the arm rest again.

"Could…could you get me a bag please?" She whispered. Her face turned a odd shade of green. Oh. Oh no.

"On it!" Jumping up from my chair I ran towards the kitchen, grabbing the nearest thing Vee could dump her guts in.

I chucked it at her and she caught with amazing accuracy. Then, she promptly threw up.

"Aw, ewwwwwwww." Artemis groaned from the kitchen. Kairi offered a look of sympathy and went to calm down Venus. Riku looked disgusted and Sora was too busy to even care. Adelynn however, looked like she was about to pass out.

"Is she alright?" she asked me, her voice barely above a whisper. I looked at her. She looked so much like Venus…

"Um, she will be. She's not good with this kinda stuff." Adelynn accepted that as a valid answer and returned to her book, glancing up every now and then to check on Vee.

"You okay now?" Kairi said in a hushed tone as she rubbed Venus's back soothingly. Venus nodded slowly as she handed me the bowl of puke.

Kairi retreated back to her place beside Sora, being a precarious backseat driver. I sat next to Vee and put my arm around her. "You should try some relaxation exercises or something," I suggested.

"Yes, that would probably help." Venus sighed and leaned against my arm, closing her eyes briefly. Heat rose up to my cheeks in an embarrassing blush. I looked to the side, catching a glance at Artemis talking with Riku.

"Guys…"

The spotlight was on Sora as everyone looked up. His voice shook. "Buckle up."

Without even a moment's notice the ship was knocked to the side, almost tipping over. Venus gripped my arm. Adelynn was knocked to the ground, as well as Kairi. Artemis and Riku managed to say afoot.

"Dammit!" Sora cursed under his breath as he hit some controls and glowing buttons. Enemy ships in front of us exploded in a brilliant flash of colors.

"Heartless?" Riku was up by Sora in no time and at the mini-guns. He fired away, hitting every one of his target.

"Yeah. Dammit, I wasn't expecting this." Sora swerved upwards to avoid being hit by a laser beam.

"Vee, buckle up, I'm gonna help Kairi and Adelynn up." I left Venus by herself for the moment and stumbled across to the fallen princesses.

Artemis was already at Kairi's side, trying to get her on her feet when another blast rocked the ship.

Adelynn struggled to lift herself up as I got to her. I grabbed her arm, pulling her up with ease. She held on to me for dear life.

"Sora! If we take anymore damage we're screwed!" Riku fired another round as Sora narrowly avoided an asteroid.

"I know, I know! We need to land…" Sora's eyes scanned the massive space before settling on one world in particular. "Perfect! Everyone, get ready!" Sora thrusted into full gear, sending those of us that weren't in seats flying. Artemis and I landed up against the wall.

"You're…squishing….me," I choked out. For a tiny girl, she sure was heavy.

"I can't move, pinkie!" she hissed.

"Ugh…" I groaned and cursed my life. Why does this shit always happen to me?

"Sora, are you sure you'll be able to land this?" Riku's voice had a hint of fear in it. If he was even slightly scared, then we should all be shitting our pants right about now.

"Trust me, I can do this." The Gummi ship flew past the atmosphere of the world, whizzing by. As the altitude dropped, clouds cleared and I could see that the sky was a dark blue. There were vast plain of purple and blue rocks, shaping mountains and hills. I squinted my eyes as we flew over a decrepit castle. Supporting the castle looked like blue ice structures, though I couldn't be sure from this high up.

"Ok, now we just gotta land right…there." Sora decreased the speed and stepped on the breaks as we hovered over an empty platform above a marketplace of sorts. A loud crash, and we were on solid ground. Which also meant gravity.

"Oof!" Artemis fell face first to the floor and I landed not so gracefully on top of her. I chose to ignore her muffled grunts as I rolled off of her.

"Phew, made it in once piece!" Sora grinned triumphantly.

"Yeah....." everyone said in unison. I looked around. No matter how you looked at it we were discombobulated and some of us were a different color. To put it straight, we looked like shit.

***

That was a bumpy ride. I think I bruised some ribs. Pinky was heavier than I thought. I sat up and rubbed my face. "Ow...." It stung real bad. Disregarding my own pain, I stood up and helped the princesses off the floor. Addy (my new nickname for Vee's sis) was slightly unconscious. "Help me Vee!" I looked around and saw that Vee was in the same state as her sister. Dang it! What a time to show some family resemblance…

Remind me next time to sedate them.

I sighed as I dragged the half asleep princess towards the ramp. Well, drag is kind of harsh. I simply carried her by her arms while she was still on the floor. Sora gave me a look the could easily be read as 'Wtf?' as he helped Kairi. I ignored him and carried the princess down the ramp.

Once she was nice and safe outside on the unfamiliar world I returned inside Charles to help Vee. Too late, Theron beat me too it. He picked her up bridal style and pushed past me. Hmph, no need to be pushy.

After Sora, Riku and Kairi came down the ramp we were all set to go to wherever we were going. Which was…where?

"Uh, Sora. Where exactly are we?"

Sora glanced at me before flashing a grin. "Radiant Garden." He said it so calmly, but I could hear the strain in his voice. Kairi, who's eyes flickered a second, gaped at him. What's wrong with her?

"Come on, I know someone that will fix the ship." Sora started down the steps behind us. Well, he sure knew his way around. Kairi was gulping in everything. Her eyes never left the scenery.

"Hey, we'll be here for a bit," I joked. She seemed to snap out of her little trance and stared at me stupidly.

"Huh?"

Well the was un-princess like. "I'm saying we'll be here for a while so you can do some sight-seeing later," I explained. She nodded, probably not even listening as her eyes once again roamed around. I sighed and figured it was a lost cause and strolled over by Venus, who was helping her sister.

"You two are so much alike. It's creepy." Venus simply grunted in response. Adelynn was finally starting to wake up now as we entered the marketplace.

"Ugh…where are we…?" Adelynn mumbled and rubbed her eyes. I noticed her free hand was clutching that book. Did she ever go somewhere without it?

"Radiant Garden apparently. Sora's taking us to someone he knows that can fix Charles," I quipped. She looked at me strangely for a moment. Why do I always get these looks?

"Charles?"

"Yes. The Gummi ship." I refrained from adding a 'duhh', since she wasn't here when I named him.

"Right…" Releasing herself from Venus's hold, she walked ahead to Sora and the others. To the sane people.

I took a moment to absorb my surroundings, since we had apparently stopped for something. There were shops selling different things like weapons and potions. I noticed a fountain in the middle where a couple kids were playing. There was an ice cream shop up on another level with the potion shop. A couple trees here and there, the occasional flower popping up from the ground. Seemed like a pretty nice place overall.

Sora was up at the accessory shop with Kairi when Vee and I reached them. Kairi had spotted something, a necklace I believe. I looked over her shoulder to get a better look. It was on a black string and had three little black crystals.

"Look, it's beautiful." Kairi gazed at the trinket with a sparkle in her blue eyes. Riku stood the side, eyeing the weapon shop, not interested in this girly stuff. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, it is nice. And it protects you from dark magic." Sora added the last bit more for himself as he asked the girl working the shop how much it was.

"It's 350 munny."

Kairi's face dropped as she put the necklace down. "Ah, well, that's ok." She smiled to herself and grabbed Sora's hand, as if that was all she needed. How…romantic.

Sora looked saddened, but merely sighed as they moved on. I frowned to myself. I dug in my pockets for any munny. Nothing. I sighed and kept moving to keep up.

Riku was behind me, which was odd. I paused and looked back. He had handed the lady something. …Oh.

He walked up to me and tried to past. I shifted my weight to one leg and put my hand on my hip. A smirk crawled onto my face.

"Softie."

Pink dusted his cheeks as his eyes narrowed into a glare. I couldn't look away. He's aquamarine eyes were challenging me.

"I am not a softy."

"Yes, you are. A big, fluffy, huggable softy."

"…"

"…Don't hit me?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't hit you." He shook his head, making his bangs fall in his face.

For a moment, just a moment I tell you, I swore my heart stopped. Something about the way he spoke, how the blush spread across his face…It was…something.

Clearing my throat, I stepped out of his way. "The others must be wondering what happened to us…" I muttered and went to move ahead. I couldn't help but get over how sweet he was, buying that for Kairi. He truly was a big softy inside.

I heard him grunt from behind me and he stalked past me, talking long strides.

Once we managed up the steps I saw Riku move swiftly towards Kairi. A little part of me, the soft, sensitive side, was just waiting to squeal.

I stepped a bit closer to the group, which I realized keeps growing, and leaned on Vee's shoulder.

"Hm?" she looked over at me with a small smile.

I shook my head and just continued to watch.

"Kairi, here." Riku dropped the necklace in her hands. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Sora grinned from ear to ear.

"Riku, thanks!" Kairi looked up at him with an amazing smile. He smiled softly back at her as she handed the necklace to Sora to put on her.

Sora lifted her hair and clasped it together, and with a quick _swoosh_ of his hands her hair fell back into place and the necklace hung right below her collarbone. She gazed at the charm and wrapped her arms around Riku in a bone crushing hug. He hugged back.

"Aww, how cute," I squealed into Venus's ear. She giggled lightly and clasped her hands together. Theron looked to the side and crossed his arms as he slouched. Adelynn seemed to be smiling.

"Thanks man," Sora whispered to Riku. Riku simply nodded.

Kairi hummed quietly to herself the rest of the way as we set off down another set of stairs.

We passed through a quiet part of the town where houses sat on every open space, except the walkway of course. A couple of lights were on in the houses. I spotted a bar in one alley we passed. Hm…

"Ah, there!" Sora pointed up ahead as a quaint little house, with smoke billowing from the chimney.

Kairi was admiring the small town with an almost sad look as we walked up to the wooden door, shaped like an upside down 'U'. I poked her arm as Sora knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" she smiled at me with a bit of hesitation.

"Uh, so, you know this place or something? You look nostalgic." I asked quietly. Her face blanched. She was about to say something when the door opened.

"Sora! What a surprise! Why, I wasn't expecting you!"

And old man, with a very long grey beard answered the door and gesticulated as he spoke.

"Yeah, well, neither did I…" Sora chuckled to himself nervously. "I'm actually here to see Cid…"

"Somebody say my name?"

A buff looking guy came to the door, chewing on a toothpick.

I have decided. Sora has weird friends.


	13. I Shouldn't Spoil Myself

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!!: Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I actually have a good excuse! I sprained my ankle. So it's been hard to move around and stuff…and this actually has nothing to do with the delay…Anyway, this chappie is…Well, fluffy, a tad limey and…a little depressing o.o. So, if you dislike lime-y stuffs, you may want to skip Artemis and Riku's part……..but it's totally in the T rating, so don't worry! ;3 Oh, slight BbS spoiler later on (EVEN THOUGH I SPOILED EVERYTHING FOR MYSELF SO EXPECT TINY LITTLE THINGS HINTING AT BIRTH BY SLEEP)…So, enjoy and REVIEW :D**

**DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own KH. Stop making me say it. T.T**

The house was cozy, though a bit cramped. I droned out as Sora explained what had happened on our way here and the situation at hand. Cid simply stroked his chin and nodded, grunting occasionally. I swung my legs back and forth the entertain myself as I looked around the old wizard's house.

"So, when do you think you'll have it fixed?" Sora asked, impatience evident in his voice.

"Hmm. Probably a day and a half." Cid nodded to himself as if that was an acceptable answer and swiveled back to the massive computer in the corner of the room.

"But you haven't even seen it," I whined. A day and a half? That's way too long. I wanna get this show on the road!

Cid turned to me and glowered. I shrunk back and muttered, "Ok, ok, a day and a half it is…"

Merlin turned to us then. He moved his hands around erratically. "Well, unfortunately you can't stay here, what with the restoration committee always around, there's simply no room! You can stay at the inn that you must have passed on your way here. It should be suitable."

Sora agreed and thanked both Cid and Merlin before leading us out. I sighed loudly, making everyone turn to look at me with questioning faces.

"…Uh. So, what's the plan? We all gonna go crash at the inn place or is Sora gonna show us around?"

Sora scratched the back of his head nervously. "Actually, I was gonna take Kairi around because…" He trailed off as his eyes locked with Kairi's. Ok then…

"Sorry, Artemis, but I wanted to go looked around with Theron," Venus said shyly as she grasped Theron's hand. He looked thrilled. Lovesick puppies…

"I'll be going to the inn to study," Adelynn stated sharply. I forgot she was even there. She's as quiet as her sister…

"And you Riku?" I glanced at him, bored. He was probably gonna tag along with Sora and Kairi.

"Nothing. I'll be going back to the inn." He shrugged his shoulders. I frowned.

"Well, this sucks!" I stomped off towards the inn, which I remembered seeing as I left the group to do what they wanted. Adelynn was close behind me, following like a little duckling. Riku was behind her with his hands in his pockets. Of course. I would get stuck with the mute and the hot-Uh. The guy that's…socially awkward. Yes. That's it.

***

Artemis lazily tossed another paper airplane out the open window. The kids below scurried around, trying desperately to capture it.

"They'll never get it…" Artemis muttered as she began to fold another piece of paper.

Riku sat in the corner of the room, across from Adelynn. He had figured staying along in the boy's room would bore him to death, so he opted to stay here and watch over the girls.

"Ugh, I'm hungry. And thirsty." Artemis pouted and folded her arms to rest her head on. The sky was beginning to darken. Shades of purples and blues mixed together, creating a lovely sight. Artemis spotted a few birds flying by in a flock, towards that castle in the distance. She sighed.

"Artemis. Please be quiet. Your constant noise is disrupting me."

Artemis spun around, mouth wide open and eyes in dangerous slits. "What, princess?" she grounded it. Her mouth clenched as the blonde looked up with a bemused gaze.

"I said, be quiet."

Without, Artemis stood up. Adelynn, thinking the short girl was going to attack her, shielded her face with her book.

After a minute of silence, Adelynn looked up. Artemis was by Riku, her back to Adelynn.

"Riku, come with me to the bar please?" Artemis grinned widely and poked Riku's resting arm.

He looked up at her as if she was crazy. Which she was. "No."

"Why not!?"

"I like it here."

"Liar! You're as bored as I am!"

"Am not."

"…"

Artemis pouted at the silver haired boy before spinning around. The wheels in her head started to turn mischievously.

"B-but Riku…" Her lip quivered as she turned back to face him. She prayed to whatever mighty being there was he would fall for this.

Riku looked up at her with wide eyes, clearly indicating his shock.

"If you don't go with me…all of those nasty men may try to take advantage of me in my intoxicated state…" Artemis batted her eyelashes pathetically as Riku stared blankly at her. The corners of his mouth pulled down.

"…Fine."

A little cheer of victory escaped Artemis as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. They were out the door before Adelynn had a chance to say goodbye.

***

"So, Venus…"

Theron walked side by side with Venus. His hand grazed hers every now and then, making a shiver go up his spine. Venus turned to him with a sweet smile.

"Yes?"

Theron swallowed the lump in his throat. "Uh…it's um, really pretty." He pointed towards the landscape. Venus giggled softly as they entered the bailey.

"Oh, look! A perfect view!" Venus ran up to window like space in the blue wall. Theron strolled up beside her and leaned against the ledge.

"It's beautiful…" Venus's eyes glistened as they roamed the vast land below them. She was so entranced by this new world. Theron smiled warmly at her excitement.

"Theron, did you ever think we'd be here?" Her eyes glanced up at him for a moment as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

_Dammit…why does she act so cute and innocent?_ Theron clenched his hands and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the ledge. "I guess. It was inevitable, right? We'd have to see a new world one day or another."

Venus nodded to herself and turned her eyes back to the horizon. "Yeah. Artemis would have gone crazy if she stayed at home any longer!" A laugh escaped her lips. Theron chuckled. She was right, after all.

"Hey, Vee?"

"Hm?"

"Did you ever…" he trailed off, losing confidence as her eyes locked with his. Through her blue eyes he could see himself. He was blushing fiercely and biting his lip nervously. She must have though he looked like a fool.

"Did I ever what?" she egged him on. Theron cleared his throat, trying desperately to get that sand papery feeling in his mouth away.

"Did you ever…want to tell someone something, but were afraid of what they were going to say?" His eyes quickly averted hers as he settled on the view of Radiant Garden instead.

Venus hummed to herself, thinking. Theron chanced a glimpse and caught her looking at him.

"Everyone's felt that way," she said, not exactly answering the question. Theron sighed quietly to himself and resolved to keep his mouth shut.

But when Venus placed her hand on top of Theron's, the butterflies in his stomach had a field day.

***

"Sora, where are we going?" Kairi giggled as Sora led her through a path in the mountains. He looked back at her, smiling playfully.

"You'll see in a minute!"

Kairi shook her head the boy. Their fingers were intertwined as she swung their hands back and forth gently.

"Jeez, Kai, you're so impatient…" Sora mumbled, smiling impishly.

"Sora!" Kairi light-heartedly elbowed Sora. He faked a wince and grinned at her. She clicked her tongue and looked the other way childishly, pushing her bottom lip out as far as it would go.

"Aw, come on." Sora unlaced their fingers and wrapped his arm around Kairi's shoulders. She turned to him and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. He laughed lightly as he stroked her auburn hair.

"Ah, we're here." Sora pointed up ahead to an entrance to what appeared to be a cave of some sorts, made entirely out of crystals.

"Sora…it's amazing," Kairi murmured as they stepped into the tiny cave like place. Kairi swiveled her head around, enraptured by the beauty. The crystals shined brightly back at her with a display of colors, most reflecting off of the couple's clothes.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like it," Sora stroked his signature pose and admired the place.

Kairi gazed at him lovingly as a smile played on her lips. "You're too sweet, you know that?"

Sora merely shrugged with a smirk. Kairi giggled and hugged him tightly. Sora gladly returned the embrace and placed his arms around her waist.

Kairi pulled back after a moment. She knew Sora was itching to ask her something, ever since they got to this world.

"So…do you remember anything?" he whispered gently, his eyes searching hers.

"No…not really. I knew this was it though. My home," she whispered back just as softly. Her blue eyes dimmed slightly.

"I felt it. That this was where I grew up, until…"

Sora held back a sigh and instead leaned his forehead against Kairi's. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable bringing you here, but I though that since you grew up here, you might have wanted to see it…"

She looked into his eyes as the light returned to hers. "I did want to see it. Thank you." Her hand cupped his cheek softly as her eyes closed and she smiled happily.

Sora pulled back, moving his hands up to her arms. "So, you don't remember anything? What about your grandma's story?" he asked, trying not to pry too much. Ever since he found out about Kairi's origin, he had been so curious, but didn't want to push her, since it may have been sensitive.

Kairi tilted her head to the side as she searched through her memories. It was like there was a fog over her brain, blocking out certain memories. "I kind of remember it. It was an old fairy tale though. But…" Kairi shrugged her shoulders as her thoughts trailed off.

And like a switch, something clicked in Kairi's head. The fog was gone. Her eyes widened. "Kairi?" Sora furrowed his brow and gripped Kairi's arm slightly.

A rush of memories came back to her, flooding her mind. Emotions overwhelmed her and tears pricked her eyes. "Kairi? What's wrong?" Sora shook her gently as he noticed a tear run down her cheek, staining it.

She felt weak. Her hands gripped her head as if she had a pounding headache, which wasn't that far off. She doubled over, eyes roaming wildly as she tried to separate each memory.

It was over in a moment when the princess dropped to her knees, staring at Sora with a dull look in her eyes. "Kairi?!"

Sora dropped down next to her. Her cupped her cheeks and lifted her head up. "Kairi? What happened? Are you okay?" The questions just poured out of his mouth as he searched for any sign that she was alright.

"I…I remember. The lady with the blue hair…she…she said…and The King…her friends…they both…" The tears couldn't be held back any longer. They cascaded down her cheeks as sobs racked her tiny frame.

Sora, bewildered by whatever had just happened, held the shaken girl in his arms, trying his best to console her. He was heartbroken as she sat there, holding onto him and sobbing into his shirt. He felt helpless.

***

"WOOHOO!" Artemis raised her fist in the air as they reached the local bar. Riku sighed and covered his face with his hand. How she had ever convinced him to go was beyond him.

"This will be so much fun, trust me!" Artemis beamed at Riku and dragged her towards to bar.

"Hello, compadre! I'll have a rum'n'coke please!" The bartender looked at her like she was stupid. Which she…oh you already know.

"Just give her it. It'll make your life, and MY life, much easier," Riku growled, eyeing the bartender murderously. The bartender shrugged and went to go make the drink.

Artemis swiveled around, enjoying the noisiness. Drunkards were playing cards in the corner, women were offering themselves to men, people were starting fights over the stupidest thing. Just the place for a little sixteen year old girl.

Riku hid his head in his hands. "Can we just go? I'm going to get a migraine."

"Aw, lighten up, softie! The night is young!" Artemis grinned cheekily as the bartender handed her the drink.

Riku glanced at her incredulously. "You're really gonna drink that."

"Of course!" With that, Artemis chugged the alcohol in one go. Riku couldn't help but let his jaw drop a little. "Another please!" Artemis waved to the bartender, who began fixing up another drink.

_This cannot, no, WILL not, end well. _Riku shook his head as the tiny girl next to him downed another drink.

***

Eight drinks, three poker games, five fights and two men hitting on Artemis later…

"Riku…you know what I think?" Artemis dribbled out. She was as drunk as a pirate. She swaggered about, unable to stand straight. Riku and her were on their way back to the inn.

"What do you think."

"I think…you're hot."

Riku's eyes snapped wide open. When he looked at her, her eyes were glittering from the stars above and a silly little grin was plastered on her face. He sighed and turned away.

Her face fell for a moment, before her drunken stupor kept her going. "You are…WAY better…than that pansy Sora…mhm!" She giggled to herself girlishly as they made their way up to their room.

"Dammit. Adelynn is probably still up. And you'll bother the hell out of her…" Riku eyed Artemis, who was leaning against the wall looking at him with…was that…lust?

Riku shook his head and cleared his mind, but he couldn't keep the blush away. _I don't want her to kill Adelynn if they get into it…so…I guess she has to stay in my room for now…_

He tried to convince himself it was all for Adelynn as he shoved Artemis through the door.

"Riku…" Artemis whispered as Riku turned around to face her. She moved up to him slowly, carefully, as if she was approaching a wild animal. He looked her up and down, taking in how the moonlight made her curves more visible.

"W-what?" he said shakily as her hands wrapped around his shoulders. Her face was close. Dangerously close. He could smell her breath, the tinge of alcohol.

"I like you…" she whispered. If he wasn't 100 percent sure she was drunk out of her mind, he might have thought she meant it.

"Kiss meee…" Artemis murmured softly again, reaching up on her tip toes to even the height difference. A blush painted her cheeks a bright red, which made her eyes glow. Even in his poorly lit room, she looked beautiful. Her snow white hair brushed his cheek. Riku was doing everything humanly possible to not do something he'd regret later. But he was reaching the breaking point. He was only a teenage boy after all. If she kept doing this…

"Riku…please…" she breathed. She pressed herself against him and ran her tongue over her lips, as if she was taunting him. That was it. He couldn't restrain himself anymore.

He closed the distance between them. His hands settled on her hips. Artemis's hands ran down his arms, feeling his toned muscles.

Their lips molded together in harmony. Artemis's eyes fluttered closed in bliss. Riku's tongue traced her lips, causing the girl to gasp in excitement. He took this as an opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. His desire for her was growing, and he knew she felt the same when she moaned against his lips.

From there it became a battle for dominance. Neither wanted to submit. It was a waltz, and both of them were trying to take the lead.

Riku parted for air. His green eyes gazed at Artemis and saw her in a whole new light. There she was, in his arms, breathless and gazing up at him with such a desire and…love.

And in that perfect moment, she went limp in his arms. He almost dropped her had he not seen it coming. And now, there she was, passed out in his arms, finally succumbing to the alcohol.

Riku sighed softly with a smile tugging at his lips as he picked her up, once more running his eyes over her sleeping form. She seemed so fragile when she was sleeping, like anything could break her, yet she acted so tough. Riku pushed his thoughts aside for the time being and adjusted her in his arms as he swung the door open.

***

Theron glanced repeatedly at his hand. Her hand. Both of their hands. Her hand was on top of his. He couldn't seem to believe it. The fact that the shyest girl ever took initiative for once…it just didn't seem real to him. He had to be dreaming. Yes, that's it. Nothing this perfect could be real.

"Theron?"

Her honey sweet voice brought the keyblade apprentice back to reality. "Yeah?"

"It's getting really dark, we should head back." She made no move to leave though. Theron gulped down his worries. _Come on, Theron, just do it…it's just a kiss…_

Theron leaned in towards Venus. Venus, having no clue what he was doing, stood still with a confused expression. Theron puckered his lips, and that was when Venus got the hint.

Her face turned beat red as she inched closer. Theron closed his eyes, just moments away from eternal bliss. He could smell her already. That rich aroma, one he distinctly could pinpoint as Venus filled his senses. So close. He was so close.

Their lips were almost touching. Their noses barely made contact with each other. It was finally going to happen.

"Here."

Venus pulled away without hesitation at the familiar voice. "Eh? Riku? What…why is Artemis passed out?"

_Artemis._

Theron's eye twitched.

"She got really drunk. She's your problem now." Riku handed the girl to Venus, who could barely hold her up.

"Uh, um…thank you," Venus mumbled. Riku shrugged and went on his way.

"Theron, could you hold her please? She's really heavy." Venus held out Artemis to Theron.

He had half a mind to take her and through her off the cliff. _You always have to ruin my moment you little-_

"Come on, let's get going," Venus chirped as she led the way. Theron grumbled to himself as he slung Artemis's limp form over his shoulder.

"I hate you…so much…."

"Huh?" Venus turned around staring questioningly at the pink haired boy.

"Ah, hahaha, nothing! Nothing…" Venus shrugged and continued on. Theron gritted his teeth and used all of his strength not to chuck Artemis off the side of the cliff.


	14. Go For IT

**A/N: ...I'm not dead.. :D? I'm seriously sorry about how long this took, not to mention that it's way shorter than most of my chapters. It's just, I've been having a tough time with school and have been working on other things at the moment. I apologize. D: I just thought I should update before I go away in two weeks to Anime Boston. I'll be there for 5 days, so I won't have a chance to write. I may update next week, but it's unlikely. Please accept this chapter as an apology...it's kinda fillerish, but there's definitely some development. Oh, and I'm sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, since I just wanted to get this out there. Enjoy...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own kh, otherwise I would know when BBS is coming out. D:**

The complementary colors of the room mashed together into the perfect scene, but the unconscious heroine laid there in comfort oblivious to it's beauty. Awaken by the sudden whispers of her friends, slowly she raised up from her everlasting slumber. The awkward stares from her pink and blonde companions startled her. Had she done something wrong? Her mind began to wonder...... At the same time in a room not so far off, stood the main trio of this story. Sora gently stroking the sleeping Kairi's hair, sighing in bliss as he did. The white haired bad boy gagged in disgust, receiving a glare from his childhood friend. Still not missing a beat, the two left the room and began to discuss the events that had played out that evening.

"So what, she just passed out on your way back?" Riku whispered. He tilted his head slightly in confusion, just as he had done when Sora and the sleeping beauty returned to the inn.

"Well, when we were on our walk, she kinda had this…Episode. She started freaking out and crying, saying something about this woman and her friends." Sora recalled the memory, fear and sorrow aching in his heart.

"Wow. Well, definitely ask her about it when she wakes up." Riku clapped his hand onto Sora's shoulder in a brotherly way, silently assuring him everything would be ok. The pain in his best friend's face made him distraught, but there was nothing he could do.

"Yeah…so what about you, did you and Artemis end up doing anything?" Sora asked slyly, nudging Riku's arm. Riku scoffed, trying desperately to hide the blush that was heating his face.

"We went to the bar and she got drunk…" he mumbled, crossing his arms. Sora's jaw dropped.

"What?!"

"Sh!" Riku wacked Sora over the head, pointing at the door where the slumbering princess was. Sora smiled sheepishly.

"So uh, what happened?" he whispered, getting up in his friend's face. He didn't hold back his curiosity. Riku, of course, noticed and glared steadily.

"She was saying all this stuff, like, how she, uh, _loved _me and-"

"WHAT?"

--

Theron and Venus sat awe struck. Did they really just hear that?

"Oh come on, guys, I was drunk! It's not like I meant it…not really…" Artemis blushed and stared defiantly at her friends.

"Artemis. What were you thinking?!" Venus squeaked, her own face turning red. Artemis shrugged.

"You are so screwed," Theron said, chuckling to himself before Venus slapped his arm. His sick little giggles ceased after that.

"Guys, really, it wasn't like I KISSED him…" Artemis rolled her eyes, biting back the stupid smile tugging at her lips. Her face turned an even darker shade of red.

Venus deadpanned. Theron hid his face in his hands. "Artemis." The tone Venus gave Artemis was not unfamiliar, not at all, but it certainly wasn't common. Artemis shrunk back in her bed, pulling the covers up to protect her.

Venus stared darkly at the white haired girl, criticizing her with her icy eyes. Artemis squirmed. "Vee, stop looking at that. You make me feel all dirty…" Artemis whined, shoving her head under the covers.

Venus sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose impatiently. "Was there…tongue? Please tell me there was no tongue…"

The heat was practically radiating off of Artemis's form under the covers. Theron buried his face further in his hands.

"My god, Artemis. Why didn't you just hop in bed with the guy then?" Venus grumbled, feeling very much like a disappointed mother.

"Stop babying me! I'm 16 and I'm allowed to kiss guys!" Artemis threw off the covers. Her face was redder than Kairi's hair.

"You're right. But Artemis, what are you going to do now?" Venus looked at her softly, now worried for her friend.

"…" Artemis was at a loss. What was she to do? Go on pretending like it didn't happen? Perhaps she could blame it on the alcohol. Or maybe, just maybe, she could make a relationship out of this disaster?

"Well, I say that if you like him you should go for him. Riku's a good guy. And you're…you. I think you guys would be good with each other."

Both heads swiveled towards Theron, who sat calmly. He didn't look at Artemis, but rather Venus. Venus fidgeted in her chair, feeling embarrassed under his gaze.

"Wow, Theron. I didn't know you could be nice! Thanks!" A goofy grin was offered to Theron from Artemis. He shrugged, pointedly ignoring her.

--

"What are you gonna do?" Sora asked. The two boys still stood outside in the hall. Riku had recapped his 'adventure' with Artemis to Sora, and now both stood in silence.

"I'm not sure…" Riku gazed at the ceiling blankly.

"I say go for it."

"Eh?" Riku looked at his friend as if he was retarded.

"Go for it. What do you have to lose?" Sora grinned his signature grin before a soft whimper attracted his attention. He disappeared into the room to tend to Kairi while Riku was left to his thoughts.

_Who knows…maybe that goofball is right. What is__there to lose?_


	15. AUTHORS NOTE IMPORTANT READ

_**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ**_

**Hey, guys. So, I'm sure you're wondering: WHERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER???**

**Well…that's what this is for. You see, since I was an idiot and spoiled myself senseless on Birth By Sleep things, I'm having a problem. I like keeping my fics as close to the actually storyline as possible, while still putting my own twist on it. Therefore, after learning BbS's plot and such, I can't bring myself to continue writing this fic the way it is. (especially after seeing the secret ending …)**

**So, I need your input on this. I have a couple other options. I can either rewrite this to make it closer to Kingdom Heart's actually storyline, or I could write an AU fic with my original characters.**

**The AU fics I've thought of include a high school fic (HOW ORIGINAL XD), and stuff along those lines, basically teenage stuff including our favorite KH characters. (I already have an outline for one...completely original btw...)**

**Now, I know that Artemis, Theron and Venus haven't exactly had full character development, and that's why I would love to bring them back no matter what I do with this fic.**

**So! You guys need to help me! By reviewing and telling me your thoughts! Should I continue how it is? (but I'm warning you now, I'll need some time to think up some stuff…) Should I write another fic!? OR!! Should I rewrite this one into something AMAZINGGGGG?! **

**Lol. Little hyper. So please, guys, I need your input. This is all about my readers. Tell me what you want!**

**Artemis: Pshhh, wimp. Can't even continue this…And just as things were getting good!!!**

**Me: …Sorry…I just can't…:cries:**

**Venus: Ah! Don't cry, she didn't mean it! :hug:**

**Theron: Now look what you did, Artemis. Idiot…**

**Artemis: WHA? How is it my fault!?!? You were thinking the same thing!!!**

**Me: sniffle…Anyway..enough from you three…:puppy eyes: please review and let me know what you want? :D?**


	16. ANOTHER AUTHORS NOTE PLEASE READ

**a/n: Hi everyone. I thought I would let you know what's going on. :D So, with your help, I've decided to do a rewrite that's a little closer to the actual storyline. But! First, I need you to take a minute out of your precious time and vote on my poll, which is on my profile. It's vital to the rewrite! I can't stress this enough… **

**Also, my friend has kindly redesigned my characters, and they look so much prettier! But don't worry, no personalities have changed. Theron's still a pink bully, Artemis is still Artemis and Venus is still OCD. :] They just look a bit different xD So anyway, go vote on my poll! **

**And now, I shall introduce to you a rough draft of the first chapter to my new Kingdom Hearts fic, which will feature Artemis, Venus and Theron. :D (Since I feel guilty not having anything for you guys to read besides my rambling..)

* * *

**

This place is madness. Always some type of drama. There's never a moment of peace and quiet. I clenched my jaw, wishing my mom would have let me stayed home today. I mean, come on, I promised I wouldn't get in the habit of it, but of course no one believes me…

My feet got soaked as I made my way into the school, trying my best to avoid the puddles that littered the walkway. The front of the school was pretty empty, considering it was the end of first period, but a few kids loitered around the benches, procrastinating until the next bell rang.

I removed my hood as I entered the building, nodding a small hello to the security guards that I recognized from last year. Turning the corner, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit excited. The new recruits this year should be interesting…

"Ah, Kairi!" My head did a 180 as a grin tugged on my lips.

"Namine! I didn't know you would be here this early!" I turned around, opening my arms for a hug. She giggled and gladly wrapped me in a bear hug.

"Silly, I thought I told you I take the early bus now." She pulled away and adjusted the folder in her hands as she looked me over.

"You really haven't changed much," she said thoughtfully. I shrugged and gestured for her to follow me.

"We saw each other last week, duh." I laughed, earning a few weird glances from the classes we passed.

"Oh, right. Heh. Well, Dr. Ansem sent me to get the schedules from Ms. Malificent. You know, just in case the newbies need extras." Namine shrugged her shoulders. We turned the corner, half way there.

"Ugh, I hate Ms. Malificent…" I mumbled under my breath. Namine looked at me strangely.

"You never even spoke to her." She pointed out bluntly. I smiled sheepishly.

"I hate all guidance counselors, what can I say. So, how many kids are there already?"

"Only a few. I'm betting most will be on the bus. By the way, what's with the dress?" Namine tried to hide her smile, but her eyes gave it away.

I bit my lip, trying to suppress the blush that was begging to make its presence known. "I thought that, well, since it's the first day and all, I'd dress nice…besides, I can ask you the same!" I pointed to her outfit, which consisted of a simple off white dress, sandals and a black sweater.

"This is normal for me, Kairi…that is not normal for you." She snickered, waving her hand in my general direction. I scoffed and realized we had reached our destination.

"Here we go." I gripped the knob and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

"Hello, Trans…"

* * *

**I'm sure you're like: WTF? **

**Lol.**

**Ok, so, basically this is a AU High school Fic. The Trans room is the basic setting. Trans is a program for adolescents who have trouble functioning in a regular school environment. It's a separate room in the school building for the students to go and receive special individual treatment such as individual and group therapy. It's a safe environment for the students. There are also different classes for the Trans Kids, separate from the mainstream. They are taught on the same level as regular students. Most of the trans kids have psychological issues, such as depression and bi polar disorder. In this work of fiction the issues of the students will be exaggerated and stretched for your own entertainment. (sounds sick right? Lololol) **

**So, yeah. The Transitional Program does exist, and I am in it. Please look forward to future installments of Trans. I'll be working on this while I get the outline of the rewrite done.**


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